*humming "World Without Logos"*
Jun. 21st, 2005 02:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bloodsong1Rowan Ascot is mine. Everything else is borrowed without permission. Don't worry. I'll return them when I'm done.
Integral looked around her bedroom, wondering if she should be outraged or amused. The last fifteen minutes had been...chaotic. The apothecary, Rowan, had walked in, politely introduced herself, then completely taken over. Footmen brought in a bed for Walter, so Rowan wouldn't have to run up and down two flights of stairs all night. That was sensible. Sprinkling the mattresses with herbs before changing the sheets, not so sensible. The room smelled much nicer, but Integral was already missing the wiff of tobacco. Two ball candles burned beside her on the nightstand, smelling strongly of lemon. Integral shifted in bed, feeling the leaves break under her. Eucalyptus and lavender rose to mix with the lemon. Integral breathed deeply. Well, this was nice. Maybe the mattress treatment was sensible. She accepted a cup of tea from Dr. Trevellian.
She had gone in to prepare a bath for him, but refused to leave. The footman who had assisted Walter fled at the first sign of protest.
"Miss, this is highly irregular!" Walter said, clutching his shirt closed. Rowan sighed and kicked the door shut.
"Look, Walter. You've already passed out once. I'm not taking the risk of you sliding into the water and not coming back up. Now strip! I've seen it all before, I am a doctor in every sense but the formal degree. And stop calling me 'Miss'. My name is Rowan. You can use it."
"Miss Rowan. I would feel more comfortable if one of the footmen..." Rowan pointed at the door.
"Did you see how quickly he left? I think the staff is somewhat afraid of you. God only knows why. You're the mildest looking man I've met. Then again, it's always the mild ones, isn't it?" Rowan deftly stepped behind him and tugged his shirt off his shoulders. His undershirt was next, despite his grabbing.
"Miss Rowan. Please!"
"What did you do, Walter? Seduce the maids? Threaten to chop something off of the head groom? Blacken the silver?"
"I never!" Walter protested, then choked when his pants hit the floor. Rowan stayed behind him, fighting down laughter. She took advantage of his quiet to shove down the boxers too.
"Now, get in." She turned her back on the bathtub and stared at the window, biting her lips. She must be slipping. He was the first male patient to protest her bath technique. Soft splashes behind her told her Walter was finally where she wanted him. "Are you decent?" She asked, chuckling.
"As much as I can be, given the circumstances." Walter said resignedly, arranging the washcloths carefully. Rowan turned around and seated herself on the wide vanity, crossing her legs. Walter frowned at the large tea bags floating in the water. "Am I to be brewed for the household?"
"Hardly. You wouldn't make a good stock. Those are my special flu sachets. Equal parts Tea Tree, Eucalyptus and Lemon. I put eucalyptus and lavender in your bed to help you sleep. Oh yes, and there's Epsom salts in there too." She glanced at her watch. "You get ten minutes. I really should do Sir Hellsing next, but given the looks she's been throwing my way, I suppose it would be best to let her regain her equillibrium." Walter glanced at her.
"Dr. Trevellian gave you high recommendations."
"As he should. I'm very good at my job. I've helped him save lives before. You certainly seem more clear-headed."
"What's after this?" Walter nudged a tea bag with his foot.
"Elderflower tea, lots of rest, plenty of juice. I plan on invading the kitchen later." Walter looked up, alarmed. Rowan laughed and waved a hand at him. "Only to make juice, Walter. If you don't have what I need, I'll send someone out."
"What will you need?"
"Apples, oranges, pineapple, lemons, limes, bananas and any berries you might have stored away."
"Better send someone, then. We have apples and lemons, some frozen berries, but nothing else."
"Right then. After your bath." Walter gave her a disgruntled look. Rowan winked at him.
"It's only half past four. The grocers will still be open." She cocked her head, then smiled sweetly. "May I please use the kitchen to make myself something to eat later on tonight?"
"Of course. I will make sure you know how to get there."
"You, Mr. Butler, are not going anywhere. I'll have one of the staff show me."
"You seem...remarkably calm."
"I am a professional doing her job. I've been in worse households."
"Worse?" Walter looked dubious. One of his washcloths shifted as he moved and he quickly tugged it back into place. Rowan cocked her head again, looking like a curious cat. He had one glove on, the other was sitting on the back of the commode. He only used his bare hand to keep the washcloths in line.
"Worse." She confirmed, wondering about the gloves. "I'll admit, yours has some interesting characters in it."
"You've met Alucard, then."
"I take it he's the reason I had to sign the oaths of secrecy."
"Yes."
"Well, that's one question answered." Walter caught her eye. Rowan looked thoughtful, resting her chin on a propped up fist. She was staring at...him? No, at the tea bag floating above his chest. Walter squirmed.
"I'll be happy to answer what questions I can." He said, trying to catch her attention. She ignored him, eyes fixed on the tea bag as it bobbed just under the water level. "Miss? Miss Rowan?" She blinked, then looked at her watch.
"Time's up. See, that wasn't so bad." She hopped off the counter, fetched a towel off the rack and held it out for him, head politely turned toward the door. "Come on out."
Integral looked around her bedroom, wondering if she should be outraged or amused. The last fifteen minutes had been...chaotic. The apothecary, Rowan, had walked in, politely introduced herself, then completely taken over. Footmen brought in a bed for Walter, so Rowan wouldn't have to run up and down two flights of stairs all night. That was sensible. Sprinkling the mattresses with herbs before changing the sheets, not so sensible. The room smelled much nicer, but Integral was already missing the wiff of tobacco. Two ball candles burned beside her on the nightstand, smelling strongly of lemon. Integral shifted in bed, feeling the leaves break under her. Eucalyptus and lavender rose to mix with the lemon. Integral breathed deeply. Well, this was nice. Maybe the mattress treatment was sensible. She accepted a cup of tea from Dr. Trevellian.
She had gone in to prepare a bath for him, but refused to leave. The footman who had assisted Walter fled at the first sign of protest.
"Miss, this is highly irregular!" Walter said, clutching his shirt closed. Rowan sighed and kicked the door shut.
"Look, Walter. You've already passed out once. I'm not taking the risk of you sliding into the water and not coming back up. Now strip! I've seen it all before, I am a doctor in every sense but the formal degree. And stop calling me 'Miss'. My name is Rowan. You can use it."
"Miss Rowan. I would feel more comfortable if one of the footmen..." Rowan pointed at the door.
"Did you see how quickly he left? I think the staff is somewhat afraid of you. God only knows why. You're the mildest looking man I've met. Then again, it's always the mild ones, isn't it?" Rowan deftly stepped behind him and tugged his shirt off his shoulders. His undershirt was next, despite his grabbing.
"Miss Rowan. Please!"
"What did you do, Walter? Seduce the maids? Threaten to chop something off of the head groom? Blacken the silver?"
"I never!" Walter protested, then choked when his pants hit the floor. Rowan stayed behind him, fighting down laughter. She took advantage of his quiet to shove down the boxers too.
"Now, get in." She turned her back on the bathtub and stared at the window, biting her lips. She must be slipping. He was the first male patient to protest her bath technique. Soft splashes behind her told her Walter was finally where she wanted him. "Are you decent?" She asked, chuckling.
"As much as I can be, given the circumstances." Walter said resignedly, arranging the washcloths carefully. Rowan turned around and seated herself on the wide vanity, crossing her legs. Walter frowned at the large tea bags floating in the water. "Am I to be brewed for the household?"
"Hardly. You wouldn't make a good stock. Those are my special flu sachets. Equal parts Tea Tree, Eucalyptus and Lemon. I put eucalyptus and lavender in your bed to help you sleep. Oh yes, and there's Epsom salts in there too." She glanced at her watch. "You get ten minutes. I really should do Sir Hellsing next, but given the looks she's been throwing my way, I suppose it would be best to let her regain her equillibrium." Walter glanced at her.
"Dr. Trevellian gave you high recommendations."
"As he should. I'm very good at my job. I've helped him save lives before. You certainly seem more clear-headed."
"What's after this?" Walter nudged a tea bag with his foot.
"Elderflower tea, lots of rest, plenty of juice. I plan on invading the kitchen later." Walter looked up, alarmed. Rowan laughed and waved a hand at him. "Only to make juice, Walter. If you don't have what I need, I'll send someone out."
"What will you need?"
"Apples, oranges, pineapple, lemons, limes, bananas and any berries you might have stored away."
"Better send someone, then. We have apples and lemons, some frozen berries, but nothing else."
"Right then. After your bath." Walter gave her a disgruntled look. Rowan winked at him.
"It's only half past four. The grocers will still be open." She cocked her head, then smiled sweetly. "May I please use the kitchen to make myself something to eat later on tonight?"
"Of course. I will make sure you know how to get there."
"You, Mr. Butler, are not going anywhere. I'll have one of the staff show me."
"You seem...remarkably calm."
"I am a professional doing her job. I've been in worse households."
"Worse?" Walter looked dubious. One of his washcloths shifted as he moved and he quickly tugged it back into place. Rowan cocked her head again, looking like a curious cat. He had one glove on, the other was sitting on the back of the commode. He only used his bare hand to keep the washcloths in line.
"Worse." She confirmed, wondering about the gloves. "I'll admit, yours has some interesting characters in it."
"You've met Alucard, then."
"I take it he's the reason I had to sign the oaths of secrecy."
"Yes."
"Well, that's one question answered." Walter caught her eye. Rowan looked thoughtful, resting her chin on a propped up fist. She was staring at...him? No, at the tea bag floating above his chest. Walter squirmed.
"I'll be happy to answer what questions I can." He said, trying to catch her attention. She ignored him, eyes fixed on the tea bag as it bobbed just under the water level. "Miss? Miss Rowan?" She blinked, then looked at her watch.
"Time's up. See, that wasn't so bad." She hopped off the counter, fetched a towel off the rack and held it out for him, head politely turned toward the door. "Come on out."
