jianhuo | (no subject)

It all starts when she breaks a heel.

Saffron's got on a cheap pair of shoes she picked up at a secondhand store the day after she arrived in Darrow, just for something to wear on her feet besides the flimsy sandals she'd shown up in. They'd been the closest pair at hand when she needed to run out to the store for a few things, and though she'd known they were getting worn out, she'd thought they'd hold up.

She isn't going far, just the local market for a few things, so she's walking back home with her single brown bag when it happens. There's a crack in the sidewalk, and Saffron happens to step in it just the right - or wrong - way. Next thing she knows she's letting out a squeal as the heel of her gorram shoe breaks and she almost goes tumbling right onto her ass, her ankle twisting painfully.

Somehow, she manages to keep hold of her shopping bag and her purse, though a loaf of bread and a couple packages of pasta come spilling out onto the sidewalk. Saffron sets her bag on the sidewalk, bracing herself with one hand against a wall as she slips off her worthless shoes with the other, but when she goes to put weight on her foot pain shoots through her twisted ankle and makes her suck in a sharp breath through her teeth.

"Gorram it." She wonders if she can find a cabbie nice enough to not only pull over, but also help her get herself and her things into the cab. "And it's not even snowing," Saffron murmurs. "Where's that Marine when I need him?"

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It's been one of those long days at work. A whole lot of people filtering in and out, asking question after question. I've learned how to sell people on this stuff a long time ago, but it gets tiring. I like the quiet days a lot more.

So I'm a little out of it while I'm walking to my apartment, not really paying much attention. I'm tired, alright? Well, no matter how tired I am, it's pretty hard to miss the yelp of pain. A quick glance around and I see a familiar face struggling. Without a second thought, I cross the street to her.

"That looks like it hurts," I state the obvious, wincing a little at the scene. I didn't even know those shoes broke like hers apparently did. "Here, let me get this."

I don't even wait for an answer as I start picking up her spilled things. She didn't look like she was in any condition to do it herself.

In spite of her situation, Saffron can't help but be a little amused when she sees Eugene and is reminded of how he wasn't using his real name - not that he knows the same is true of her.

"I tell you what, that's the last time I get cheap shoes from a secondhand store," she says, experimentally putting a bit of weight on her ankle and wincing. "Thanks, honey."

"I was wondering if it was normal for it to break like that," I admit. Unless the shoes were diamond encrusted or something, they weren't ever something I focused on stealing. It's because of that I don't pay much mind to them. Even with Blondie now, half the time she'd rather be running around without shoes on at all.

"Looks like you're hurt," I add (again probably stating the obvious), tucking the things carefully into her bag. "You - you want me to take you to see someone who knows medicine?"

There was a place for that here, I remember. Rory had worked there when he was still in the city.

Saffron shakes her head. "It's just a sprained ankle," she replies. "Hurts like hell for a while, but there's not much the doctor can do about it. I just need to get home and get some ice on it." There's also the fact that she'd much rather avoid hospitals altogether if she can at all help it, and really, she'll be okay if she doesn't see a doctor about this. Even with doctors like House and Chase around, Saffron prefers not to have to rely on twenty-first century medicine when she doesn't have to.

"Well, looking on the bright side here," I begin, actually just taking the bag from her lightly once it's all packed up. She's not looking like she'll be able "If this were where I was from, finding a way to home wouldn't be quite as easy as it is here. Unless you had a horse or carriage of your own."

Which reminds me, I wonder how Max is doing. I should ask Blondie eventually.

"You good to stay there while I wave my arm and get something to stop?" I asked, raising a brow. I've actually gotten the hang of the whole cab thing. Couldn't tell you how any of the things whizzing by works, but that's why I get other people to do it for me.

"I'm good," Saffron confirms, patting the wall she's got one hand braced against. "I've got this handy wall to help me out while you hail a cab." It's fortunate for her, really, that Eugene happened to come by, since she has no idea how she would've gotten up to her apartment without help, even if she was able to flag down an unusually friendly cabbie.

I won't pretend I'm great at this. I usually just go places by foot unless I have to be somewhere quickly. But I'm good at mimicking what I've seen, which basically involves me waving a hand every time I see one of the machines I know are the ones that stop for people.

It still takes longer than I want it to.

But one does stop, and when I explain the situation - how he's going to need to wait a minute while I help my friend get over there. The driver seems annoyed but agrees to wait.

"Alright, looks like we have the ride," I say as I go over to her, trying to figure out how best to work this. In the end, I figure letting her decide is the best option. "How do you want to do this? I can put the bag in there first and come back. Will that be okay?"

Saffron waits patiently while Eugene gets them a cab. It's not really something she's well-versed in, either, so she doesn't mind that it takes a few minutes. She misses the days when she could just steal a good ship and go.

He explains his plan, and that seems like the best option to her. "That'll work, sure," she says, nodding. If the cab driver is smart, he won't take off without her, since she's the one that's going to pay him.

The fun part is getting the cab driver to agree. He's already impatient, but I have no trouble getting him to stay when I mention if it takes too long, I'll be sure to pay the extra costs. And people called me the thief here - this guy clearly has me beat by a lot.

With whatever she had safely stashed in the back seat, I come to collect her too, offering my arm to lean against.

"Easy does it," I warn. "Even though I'm sure I could catch you, I'd like to prevent you falling in the first place again."

"Falling is definitely not on my agenda either," Saffron says with a wry smile, only half joking. The last thing she needs is to seriously injure her ankle. A minor sprain isn't too bad, but anything worse than that and she's going to be prevented from doing all the things she loves most.

She takes his arm, leaning pretty heavily on him to avoid putting weight on her ankle. Eugene seems like a pretty strong guy, and she's small, so Saffron's fairly certain he can handle it. It's slower going than she'd like, but they get her into the cab without too much trouble and she thanks the driver for waiting, who merely grunts.

I'm ready to give a look to the driver if he complains at all. He thankfully doesn't, which is good, because I certainly don't think either of us want any trouble. I don't even think about getting in on the other side of the car once she's safely in.

"You'll need help to your apartment," I explain, in case she's wondering what I'm doing. If it was slow going getting to the cab, it was going to be slow going going anywhere right now. I might end up being a little late, but it's worth it. Helen's always been friendly to me, and I'm not about to let that slide.

Saffron isn't entirely sure whether he's going to get in the cab with her, but when he does, she smiles. "Thank you, Eugene," she says, and will probably say again at least once more. He could have easily just stayed on the sidewalk and sent her on her merry way, and then she'd have had a hell of a time getting up to her apartment if none of her other friends who also lived there happened to be around.

"High Gate Terrace," she says to the driver.