MJK2431
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He explained to her about the various rooms, the female deflecting from her worrying about social scenarios to try and absorb as much of the information as possible. She felt over-whelmed at the options he provided her, eyes widening as she swallowed back the lump forming in her throat. He seemed to notice her discomfort, the man slowing down and simplifying things for her. Despite the long list of rooms and their different uses, it seemed to Valerie like the bathes were sequential in terms of how they were to be utilized. Meaning, that all she had to do was simply go from one place to the next and more than likely she would be fine.
She repeated this to herself over and over, returning to speak to him once more when he made mention of the 'assistants' present in the baths. "I'll ask for help from them, only if I really need it. It will also be done with respect that they deserve, even if it might seem strange to others. I won't make a scene of my treatment towards the unpaid servants your society keeps, but I refuse to treat them as lesser or other." Her mind was made up on that matter at least, her opinions and thoughts on the matter clear enough in comparison to her confusion over the bathes.
He went on, reassuring her of her position in this world, one of status and comfort. Nobilitas....I need to keep remembering that. I'm not just a simple scientist anymore. I need to start acting more...refined. Her thoughts chastised her internally, the girl nodding her head slowly to what he had said. "Honesty is the best policy they say. I'll just stick to some simplified and sugar-coated truths. That will be easier than lying through my teeth." They were soon heading off, the baths a short distance away. However, the rising heat of the day made the female warmer than she liked, dust from the road sticking to the dots of perspiration on her forehead as they arrived at the building. Valerie wiped at the sweat with the back of her hand, the girl noticing her inner hesitance to enter. However, she had little choice in the matter, forcing a smile in Kaeso's direction which looked more grim than pleasant. She entered inside, following behind a pair of woman similar in age to her which were gossiping away. One of them, a tall fair-skinned woman with black hair, gave her a small smile over her shoulder before throwing a coy expression Kaeso's way as she disappeared around the corner of the women's section.
Valerie gulped quietly, trying to follow them at a distance so as to not appear lost as they walked down a short corridor. They soon entered into a larger room though, one with small indents in the walls where some other bathers items were already stored. The pair who Valerie had followed stopped by two empty hollows, the raven-haired female contiually looking in Valerie's direction as they began unchanging with little inhibition. Valerie tried not to stare as she watched what they did, mimicking to her best effort in removing the toga while covering herself with her towel. She struggled with the pin on her toga though, getting flustered as she struggled to undo it in time to keep up with the other two. "Need help?" The voice was friendly and right behind her, Valerie turning with flaming cheeks to see the girl who had smiled before standing right beside her already wrapped in a towel. "Um, yes..." She mumbled out, sounding far more fragile than she would have liked. The girl approached, easily unclipping the piece holding the toga closed and handing Valerie a towel from nearby.
"I heard along the grapevine about your memory loss. I figured you wouldn't remember me and your lack of a normal cheery greeting means the rumors are true. Needless to say your look of a lost lamb only makes it more obvious. My name's Octavia, I live near to you...we used to play frequently in your garden before you, ah...disappeared. Are you here to get ready for tonight? " Valerie tried to breathe, wanting to cool down her red cheeks as she gave the girl a grateful smile. "Y-yes, I, ah..." She grit her teeth, remembering what Kaeso had said. You're Nobilitas. Act like it. Valerie set her shoulders, standing up straighter as she responded better. "I mean yes. A bit of a party to let everyone know I'm back." Her smile now was more genuine, causing one to reflect on Octavia's face. "Well we're all awfully excited about it! Hey, Cassia?" The other girl who she had been with nodded her head, placing her folded toga inside it's hollow. Octavia turned back to Valerie, looping her arms through Valerie's while the girl floundered to try and keep her towel in place. "Even if you don't remember everything, we'll be here to help! You might not remember me, but my mother would be horrified if I didn't try and help you settle back in!"
"So, Valoria, what colour are you wearing tonight?" Cassia asked after dunking her head underwater, red hair straightening and sticking to her skull. Octavia followed suite, Valerie doing the same so she had time to think. She had mostly let the other two talk, okay with just sitting and listening. It seemed however that they had now turned their attention to her. Her voice was confident as she responded, saying simply "A dark green. I bought some new items yesterday specially for tonight." She caste a glance at the other nubian-looking female in her peripheral vision, who had not changed her stance since they had entered. Her answer made the two girls glance at each other in a knowing way. "What is it?" She asked, the pair giggling to each other. "Come on, tell me!" Valerie urged them. Octavia was the one to speak first, but not to her. "Hey, you! Get two more of you and then fetch some oils and stigils!" The girl from the corner, who Valerie assumed to be a slave, left wordlessly and without looking up from the ground. Cassia rolled her eyes, saying "They're getting useless, none offered any of us massages yet or oil application." Octavia nodded her head in agreement, not yet answering Valerie's inquiry as to the importance of the colour she was wearing. Valerie felt like grinding her teeth, suddenly nervous as to the implications of the fabric the merchant had chosen for her. "You were saying?" She urged them politely, Octavia floating on the surface and tilting her head back into the water before answering. "Oh nothing....it's just that that is Magnus' favourite colour." Cassia gave Valerie a sly wink, ducking under and popping up again while Valerie's head spun. She was thirsting for answers but the two seemed to be toying with her and stretching out the time taken to satiate her need for answers.
"Um...whose favourite colour?" She said patiently, trying not to let her worry seep into her voice. Octavia straightened, water flowing down her shoulders. "Oh right...your memory loss..." the girls broke off into another fit of giggles as Valerie's heart rate quickened. The pair eventually calmed again, the slave girl returning with two more females who were both carrying familiar coloured glass bottles and strange looking tools. "He's someone that you knew from before." Cassia said casually, shrugging her shoulders as they made their way back towards the stairs and climbed out again. Valerie followed after them, hungry for more information. There was more to this man than that simple answer and the wicked smile playing across Octavia's lips told her as much. The three wrapped their towels around them again, Valerie following as they sat down on nearby benches where steam was accumulating. The bathe 'assistants' approached, Valerie flinching away coyly at first while she watched the two new slaves begin pouring oil on Cassia and Octavia's skin. She tried to pry more information, asking in what she hoped was a non-chalant way, "Was he a friend, like you?" She allowed the nubian girl who had first been here to do the same to her with the oil, trying not to make a face at the strange feeling of the viscous fluid being rubbed into her skin. There was more giggles before she was given an answer, Octavia closing her eyes and sitting back in a relaxed pose as she answered. "Let's just say there was some unusual gossip as to his intentions towards you just before you left...gossip which will make his most certain appearance at your house tonight very interesting." The tone of her voice made Valerie's skin crawl, but Octavia's unspecific explanation told her that digging for more would be a fruitless effort. Clearly the two girl's were enjoying her lack of knowledge and Valerie refused to give them anymore satisfaction by begging for information. "Guess we'll just have to see how tonight plays out then..." She said casually, closing her eyes and trying to stop herself from grinning as she felt the two bristle slightly beside her when she didn't try and get them to talk more.
Looks like 'friends' around here aren't always the kind that one would expect. I'll need to keep my guard up and keep playing the games they wish to set out. The small victory she had won felt good, but Valerie knew she would need to keep on her toes if the small experience was any indicator as to how the party would be.
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Valerie exited the baths feeling refreshed. The treatments of oils that had been applied to her skin and semi-damp hair as well as the massage that Kaeso had suggested left her feeling strange but definitely improved compared to earlier. She was eager to speak to him, not only about her win in terms of how the girls had tried to toy with her but also in terms of the information she had learned about this 'Magnus'. He appeared to be waiting for her already, the sight of his damp hair making her think back to the first time he had used her shower back at her apartment. The memory was a fond one, helping the girl form a happy expression as she approached him. "Hello again, it would appear I survived. I also have some news to share..." she waited until they were walking back towards the villa before getting too detailed, the girl always keeping her voice low but giving him all the details she could about what the other females had shared with her. When she was done they were almost back, Valerie stopping under the tree they had talked under the day before. "What do you think?" She asked him, the warm breeze playing cooly across her still slightly-wet skin and hair and making the scented oils on them both waft around them.
She repeated this to herself over and over, returning to speak to him once more when he made mention of the 'assistants' present in the baths. "I'll ask for help from them, only if I really need it. It will also be done with respect that they deserve, even if it might seem strange to others. I won't make a scene of my treatment towards the unpaid servants your society keeps, but I refuse to treat them as lesser or other." Her mind was made up on that matter at least, her opinions and thoughts on the matter clear enough in comparison to her confusion over the bathes.
He went on, reassuring her of her position in this world, one of status and comfort. Nobilitas....I need to keep remembering that. I'm not just a simple scientist anymore. I need to start acting more...refined. Her thoughts chastised her internally, the girl nodding her head slowly to what he had said. "Honesty is the best policy they say. I'll just stick to some simplified and sugar-coated truths. That will be easier than lying through my teeth." They were soon heading off, the baths a short distance away. However, the rising heat of the day made the female warmer than she liked, dust from the road sticking to the dots of perspiration on her forehead as they arrived at the building. Valerie wiped at the sweat with the back of her hand, the girl noticing her inner hesitance to enter. However, she had little choice in the matter, forcing a smile in Kaeso's direction which looked more grim than pleasant. She entered inside, following behind a pair of woman similar in age to her which were gossiping away. One of them, a tall fair-skinned woman with black hair, gave her a small smile over her shoulder before throwing a coy expression Kaeso's way as she disappeared around the corner of the women's section.
Valerie gulped quietly, trying to follow them at a distance so as to not appear lost as they walked down a short corridor. They soon entered into a larger room though, one with small indents in the walls where some other bathers items were already stored. The pair who Valerie had followed stopped by two empty hollows, the raven-haired female contiually looking in Valerie's direction as they began unchanging with little inhibition. Valerie tried not to stare as she watched what they did, mimicking to her best effort in removing the toga while covering herself with her towel. She struggled with the pin on her toga though, getting flustered as she struggled to undo it in time to keep up with the other two. "Need help?" The voice was friendly and right behind her, Valerie turning with flaming cheeks to see the girl who had smiled before standing right beside her already wrapped in a towel. "Um, yes..." She mumbled out, sounding far more fragile than she would have liked. The girl approached, easily unclipping the piece holding the toga closed and handing Valerie a towel from nearby.
"I heard along the grapevine about your memory loss. I figured you wouldn't remember me and your lack of a normal cheery greeting means the rumors are true. Needless to say your look of a lost lamb only makes it more obvious. My name's Octavia, I live near to you...we used to play frequently in your garden before you, ah...disappeared. Are you here to get ready for tonight? " Valerie tried to breathe, wanting to cool down her red cheeks as she gave the girl a grateful smile. "Y-yes, I, ah..." She grit her teeth, remembering what Kaeso had said. You're Nobilitas. Act like it. Valerie set her shoulders, standing up straighter as she responded better. "I mean yes. A bit of a party to let everyone know I'm back." Her smile now was more genuine, causing one to reflect on Octavia's face. "Well we're all awfully excited about it! Hey, Cassia?" The other girl who she had been with nodded her head, placing her folded toga inside it's hollow. Octavia turned back to Valerie, looping her arms through Valerie's while the girl floundered to try and keep her towel in place. "Even if you don't remember everything, we'll be here to help! You might not remember me, but my mother would be horrified if I didn't try and help you settle back in!"
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It didn't take long for Valerie to settle, finding it easier to cope with the strange routines of the baths with the other two girls to help. While the first warm room was enjoyable, what Valerie truly looked forward to was the curls of steam coming from what Kaeso had said would be the hottest room of the bathes. When the three entered, Valerie had to stop herself from plunging straight into the warm waters which promised to help her remove the dirt that had been accumulating since arriving. A new development though made her stop, the sight of a girl with skin like fertile earth standing in the far corner, head tilted down to look at her toes. While the sight made Valerie pause, the other two quickly shed their towel and entered into the sunken pool of heated water. Their openess was something Valerie was still becoming accustomed too, and after a short moment in which she waited for when no one was looking, she too joined them. "So, Valoria, what colour are you wearing tonight?" Cassia asked after dunking her head underwater, red hair straightening and sticking to her skull. Octavia followed suite, Valerie doing the same so she had time to think. She had mostly let the other two talk, okay with just sitting and listening. It seemed however that they had now turned their attention to her. Her voice was confident as she responded, saying simply "A dark green. I bought some new items yesterday specially for tonight." She caste a glance at the other nubian-looking female in her peripheral vision, who had not changed her stance since they had entered. Her answer made the two girls glance at each other in a knowing way. "What is it?" She asked, the pair giggling to each other. "Come on, tell me!" Valerie urged them. Octavia was the one to speak first, but not to her. "Hey, you! Get two more of you and then fetch some oils and stigils!" The girl from the corner, who Valerie assumed to be a slave, left wordlessly and without looking up from the ground. Cassia rolled her eyes, saying "They're getting useless, none offered any of us massages yet or oil application." Octavia nodded her head in agreement, not yet answering Valerie's inquiry as to the importance of the colour she was wearing. Valerie felt like grinding her teeth, suddenly nervous as to the implications of the fabric the merchant had chosen for her. "You were saying?" She urged them politely, Octavia floating on the surface and tilting her head back into the water before answering. "Oh nothing....it's just that that is Magnus' favourite colour." Cassia gave Valerie a sly wink, ducking under and popping up again while Valerie's head spun. She was thirsting for answers but the two seemed to be toying with her and stretching out the time taken to satiate her need for answers.
"Um...whose favourite colour?" She said patiently, trying not to let her worry seep into her voice. Octavia straightened, water flowing down her shoulders. "Oh right...your memory loss..." the girls broke off into another fit of giggles as Valerie's heart rate quickened. The pair eventually calmed again, the slave girl returning with two more females who were both carrying familiar coloured glass bottles and strange looking tools. "He's someone that you knew from before." Cassia said casually, shrugging her shoulders as they made their way back towards the stairs and climbed out again. Valerie followed after them, hungry for more information. There was more to this man than that simple answer and the wicked smile playing across Octavia's lips told her as much. The three wrapped their towels around them again, Valerie following as they sat down on nearby benches where steam was accumulating. The bathe 'assistants' approached, Valerie flinching away coyly at first while she watched the two new slaves begin pouring oil on Cassia and Octavia's skin. She tried to pry more information, asking in what she hoped was a non-chalant way, "Was he a friend, like you?" She allowed the nubian girl who had first been here to do the same to her with the oil, trying not to make a face at the strange feeling of the viscous fluid being rubbed into her skin. There was more giggles before she was given an answer, Octavia closing her eyes and sitting back in a relaxed pose as she answered. "Let's just say there was some unusual gossip as to his intentions towards you just before you left...gossip which will make his most certain appearance at your house tonight very interesting." The tone of her voice made Valerie's skin crawl, but Octavia's unspecific explanation told her that digging for more would be a fruitless effort. Clearly the two girl's were enjoying her lack of knowledge and Valerie refused to give them anymore satisfaction by begging for information. "Guess we'll just have to see how tonight plays out then..." She said casually, closing her eyes and trying to stop herself from grinning as she felt the two bristle slightly beside her when she didn't try and get them to talk more.
Looks like 'friends' around here aren't always the kind that one would expect. I'll need to keep my guard up and keep playing the games they wish to set out. The small victory she had won felt good, but Valerie knew she would need to keep on her toes if the small experience was any indicator as to how the party would be.
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Valerie exited the baths feeling refreshed. The treatments of oils that had been applied to her skin and semi-damp hair as well as the massage that Kaeso had suggested left her feeling strange but definitely improved compared to earlier. She was eager to speak to him, not only about her win in terms of how the girls had tried to toy with her but also in terms of the information she had learned about this 'Magnus'. He appeared to be waiting for her already, the sight of his damp hair making her think back to the first time he had used her shower back at her apartment. The memory was a fond one, helping the girl form a happy expression as she approached him. "Hello again, it would appear I survived. I also have some news to share..." she waited until they were walking back towards the villa before getting too detailed, the girl always keeping her voice low but giving him all the details she could about what the other females had shared with her. When she was done they were almost back, Valerie stopping under the tree they had talked under the day before. "What do you think?" She asked him, the warm breeze playing cooly across her still slightly-wet skin and hair and making the scented oils on them both waft around them.