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Author Topic: Rose's Forum CDQ  (Read 3341 times)

Dorganath

"Good..." says Bree, drawing
« Reply #60 on: November 07, 2013, 10:54:54 am »

"Good..." says Bree, drawing the sound out a little as she moves slowly around the room. "There will be a slave here evening and morning. They will see that you are awake and breakfasted by the time I arrive in the morning and that you eat your dinner by the time I arrive in the evening. They will make sure you have what you need, but you are to do for yourself by your own effort. I will not be as exacting as the Mistress, but your efforts need to please me."

Bree pauses behind Rose, places her hands lightly on Rose's shoulders and leans down to whisper into Rose's ear. "And if I'm pleased, I may reward you."  She straightens again and continues her slow pacing. "We will start in the morning. I have only one task for you tonight. When you have eaten all your dinner, you will wash up and set out your clothing for tomorrow."

 

Alatriel

Rose nods with a small smile
« Reply #61 on: November 07, 2013, 11:19:37 am »

Rose nods with a small smile at the promise of possible rewards.  She finishes off the last of her food and then clears away her own table.  As she is pulling out something to wear for the following day, she looks over her shoulder toward Bree for a moment.  "Today was different.  It was... solid, I suppose, though still a blur.  Just a different sort of blur."

 

Dorganath

Wordlessly and without
« Reply #62 on: November 07, 2013, 11:38:50 am »

Wordlessly and without prompting, the attending slave takes Rose's dishes away to the hallway and returns immediately in case there is any need.

"Solid is good, Dear," Bree says, letting a small smile form on her lips. "and I will make sure it stays that way."  She walks toward the door and pauses to look back. "Be in bed in ten minutes.  You will rise before the sun."

Bree casts her eyes to both Rose and the slave, the latter of whom nods obediently, to be sure her words are understood before exiting the room.

 

Alatriel

Rose smiles gratefully. 
« Reply #63 on: November 07, 2013, 12:26:35 pm »

Rose smiles gratefully.  "Yes, Priestess.  Thank you."

After Bree leaves, she finishes washing and her eyes are drawn to the water in the bowl for a few moments as it stills.  Looking at her own reflection, she grips the side of the bowl and stares just a moment too long before shutting her eyes tightly.  "Not now, Rose.  Not a good time.  You'll learn what you want in time.  For now, play their game."

She lets out a long breath. "Yes, Mistress."

Slowly, she pulls herself away from the basin and climbs into bed.

 

Dorganath

The next morning, if it can
« Reply #64 on: November 07, 2013, 02:38:32 pm »

The next morning, if it can be called that given the darkness outside in the pre-dawn hours, there is a sharp knock at Rose's door. It opens a moment later, regardless of response, and the slave assigned to morning duty enters with a lantern to illuminate her way and dragging a cart behind her. Once she sets out breakfast for Rose, she moves to the bedside and wakes Rose, per her duty, and advises her of breakfast. Once Rose is up and moving, she stays back and out of the way.

Breakfast turns out to be rather hearty and somewhat rich, leaving Rose feeling quite full and sated.  It is not long after Rose finishes that Bree appears in her room, looking well groomed despite the still-early hour and the appearance that she has no desire to be awake this early.  Bree begins establishing her own morning routine for Rose.  While she is less strict and demanding than the Mistress, Bree's words and descriptions carry an expectation with them as well. The tasks Bree sets for Rose keep her busy throughout the rest of their realtively brief time before Rose is to report to the Mistress for the day.

In the evening, it is much the same, with Bree arriving after dinner, putting Rose through her paces before Rose is to be in bed, only to start the cycle over again the next day.

As the days pass, the tasks Bree puts before Rose are meant to push her, in both physical and mental ways, as a means of conditioning as well as tests (and furthering) of Rose's endurance. Many days, Rose will wake up sore or at least stiff. The morning routine is as much about working out some of what lingers from the day before as it is about following a routine.  The evening routine pushes Rose just a little more, often finding the limits of her energy and endurance. Throughout it all, Bree still expects Rose to take care of the essentials on her own; she must feed, dress and tend herself no matter how tired the day might make her.

// Pausing here for further comment/input/events
 

 

Alatriel

After a few days of the
« Reply #65 on: November 07, 2013, 04:59:55 pm »

After a few days of the routine, there are a couple days that Rose is far less than thrilled to be woken up once again before she gets used to the routine.  Even still, there are flares here and there of thoughts of rebellion, and some days she has more difficulty pulling herself away from clear reflective surfaces.  As she becomes more accustomed to eating more, she gradually stops looking so full that she feels sick, and eventually is able to finish her meals without issue, even finally putting on a couple needed pounds.

 

Rowana

The middle of Rose's days are
« Reply #66 on: November 07, 2013, 05:25:46 pm »

The middle of Rose's days are filled with learning, either learning her Mistress's wishes or learning what her Mistress will impart to Rose. There is a mixture of behaviours that Rose identifies, though her Mistress seems fairly even tempered on the whole. Dallying, lingering over items needlessly, otherwise appearing to 'waste time' draws chastisement, while questions are generally answered and successes are commented upon favorably if subtly.

Her Mistress, still nameless and seeming intended to remain so, never lifts a hand to strike Rose. She rarely lifts her voice in anger, but rather turns cold and quiet when Rose has crossed some line (particularly dallying and sometimes when Rose is not truly dallying). Wasting time seems to be one o the worst offences Rose can possibly commit and often is accompanied with reminders of what will happen to her if she is imperfect. Rose quickly learns to either be on her toes with the woman or idling near by silently when she is not actively in service.

Sometimes her Mistress quizes her on the items she cleans and learns about. Rose's correct answers are remarked on with subtle favor while her failures are openly judged lacking. Each failure produces more work with the item, cleaning it, properly constructing or taking it apart, learning it's properties while she works, learning it's limits and her own. When she finishes to her Mistress's satisfaction they move on to the next item, always until the Mistress's evening meal is brought and Rose is dismissed for the day.

 

Alatriel

It doesn't take long before
« Reply #67 on: November 07, 2013, 05:59:34 pm »

It doesn't take long before Rose seems to relish the part of the day she spends with her new Mistress.  Each morning, once she is accustomed to being woken up before the dawn, she moves through her morning routine with Bree quickly in order to get to the time with the Mistress.  After a few times being caught wasting time, usually looking for something in a mirror or a glass of wine once poured, or hovering over something a little too long over something with a more powerful thrum of magic, she starts to try harder to please her Mistress.  Each time a new item is explained, she asks questions about each bit to truly understand it as she works through her tasks, drinking up the new information in the absence of wine.  Each time she is offered praise for her correct actions and responses, she smiles a little more throughout her day, and the initial rebellion that was bubbling just under the surface seems to ebb just a bit more.

 

Dorganath

During Bree's times, Rose's
« Reply #68 on: November 07, 2013, 06:05:46 pm »

During Bree's times, Rose's adherence to the routine and her successes are met with supportive and positive words, maybe even a light touch now and then and the occasional indulgence, while her failures and lapses draw a different sort of encouragement that borders on being reproachful and is always unyielding.  Though Bree expects her tasks to be carried out fully, she seems to care more for their completion than the rate at which Rose completes them.  Despite any harshness to her words and the fact that she never lets Rose slack on any assigned task, Bree remains patient with Rose throughout.

Less than a week after the routine begins, it changes. While Rose's strength and endurance, both mental and physical, continue to be conditioned, the days of being worked to absolute exhaustion seem to be waning (or Rose begins to become accustomed to them). Even so, the expected routine and its stresses on self-maintenance continue but in a way that subtly shifts the responsibility toward Rose. Bree continues to state her expectations but keeps the details on how to accomplish them to Rose's discretion.  This meshes well with Rose's new-found energy and enthusiasm for her days with the Mistress, and Bree builds upon and encourages this.  The tasks set before Rose shift accordingly.

Occasionally, Bree structures time for Rose to not be physically busy, even allowing Rose to choose to a degree how she would spend some of their allotted time...within limits, of course.

Encouragements and subtle rewards become more common. Admonishments, when needed, are still geared toward encouragement and are appropriate to the "offense".

As this continues, Bree gives fewer instructions, eventually reducing them to generalized comments about what she wants of Rose and sometimes nothing more than, "See you in the morning, Dear."

 

Alatriel

After one particular night
« Reply #69 on: November 07, 2013, 06:27:00 pm »

After one particular night when Bree leaves her to her own devices Rose sits on one side of her room and stares across towards her wash basin.  Her foot begins to tap.  She looks down to her cup of tea still sitting in front of her, then looks away quickly only to catch her reflection in the window.  She stands quickly and moves to the other side of the room, but her eyes are drawn to a flickering flame of a candle.  Her lower lip trembles and she bites down on it, taking a deep breath.  Her foot continues to tap as she struggles against the promise of the touch of power that is easily within her grasp.  In one last desperate move, she runs across to the candle and snuffs it out before hurrying to her bed and burying herself under the covers. 

 

 

Lance Stargazer

*During one evening as Rose
« Reply #70 on: November 07, 2013, 08:55:41 pm »

*During one evening as Rose comes back to her room, she finds a sealed letter beside her evening meal, the letter is sealed with wax , no crest just a capital C on the wax seal, the letter is left beside the meal for her to notice, but safe of the contents of the meal itself*

 

Alatriel

Rose's brow furrows when she
« Reply #71 on: November 07, 2013, 09:04:09 pm »

Rose's brow furrows when she notices the letter and she looks around a moment questioningly before opening it and reading the contents.

 

Alatriel

Rose's eyes scan the letter
« Reply #72 on: November 07, 2013, 09:23:30 pm »

Rose's eyes scan the letter and then she drops it, standing up quickly and backing up so fast away from the table that she knocks over the chair, backing away several steps and then running out the door into the hallway, looking for any other slaves nearby.

"The letter... where did it come from?  He's dead.  He died.  I saw it!  I saw him die!"

 

Rowana

Those few people in the hall
« Reply #73 on: November 07, 2013, 09:31:22 pm »

Those few people in the hall move away from her and do not respond. Some of them eye her sideways and scurry off to complete tasks elsewhere. No one seems to have an answer for her for the moment.

 

Alatriel

Rose takes off town the hall
« Reply #74 on: November 07, 2013, 09:37:46 pm »

Rose takes off town the hall looking for Bree.

 

Dorganath

Rose's mad dash nearly ends
« Reply #75 on: November 07, 2013, 09:49:38 pm »

Rose's mad dash nearly ends in disaster as she rounds a corner and nearly plows right over Bree.

"Bless the Mistress, child!" Bree exclaims. "Who set the Pits after you?"

 

Alatriel

"The letter!" Rose gasps. 
« Reply #76 on: November 07, 2013, 09:56:52 pm »

"The letter!" Rose gasps.  "There's a letter in my room.  It's from him, but he died.  It's his hand, but I saw it, Priestess, I saw him die.  I haven't wandered, I promise, but it came here anyway.  The dead don't write letters!"  She looks fairly terrified.  "He's watching me, my progress with the Mistress."  She clings to Bree.  "How!?"

 

Dorganath

Bree's posture and voice take
« Reply #77 on: November 07, 2013, 10:06:05 pm »

Bree's posture and voice take on an authoritative, if still somewhat quiet and pitched solely for Rose.

"Get ahold of yourself," Bree hisses, taking Rose by shoulders and putting some distance between them.  Her voice gentles but does not lose it's authoritative edge. "Return to your room and calm yourself.  Remember what I've taught you. Use the stones. I will be there shortly."

 

Alatriel

Rose takes in a sharp breath
« Reply #78 on: November 07, 2013, 10:17:49 pm »

Rose takes in a sharp breath and looks at Bree's eyes for a long moment, then nods, still shaking.  "Yes..."  she nods again.  "Yes..."  She turns back towards her room and makes her way back there a bit slower.  When she arrives at her door she stands outside of the threshold for a moment before entering, then cautiously moves into the room, looking around into the corners before sitting on her bed and looking at the table and the letter.

 

Dorganath

A few minutes pass, likely
« Reply #79 on: November 07, 2013, 10:43:00 pm »

A few minutes pass, likely seeming like more, before Bree's footsteps appear outside of Rose's door.  Without knocking or pause, Bree enters, dismisses the slave and closes the door behind her. "Now tell me, Dear," Bree says inquisitively. "What has your corset in a twist?"