Roleplayer001

St. Sappho Academy, Medieval Magic Academy (Invite Only)

~Day four, Night~

~Livia and Fia~

The rest of the day had passed rather uneventfully. Fia made...well, decent progress with writing and reading considering it was only her first day. After that days events, the headmistress was feeling rather tired and wanted to get to bed earlier than she usually did, if she could. She wasn't particularly looking forward to sending someone to deal with something in greece. She supposed she could always send Katherine or Aetheria again - or she could go herself. That was always an option. She was confident that whatever it was she could best. That said, that wouldn't be any fun nor interesting at all and she didn't have the luxury to go around flinging magic recklessly and she couldn't keep Katherine and Aetheria from their jobs.

...so she'd have to send students.

Livia sighed, changing into something more appropriate for sleeping in. It was going to be a long semester wasn't it? Something was telling her that there would be difficulties in the coming days. She'd have to go through the roster of students to see who would be appropriate to send on such a task.

...Actually, maybe this would be the perfect chance for some troublemakers to redeem themselves? Hmm...That Prince and his Fiance...She doubted they would exactly view it as punishment, but students with the audacity - and cleverness - to get into the restricted section could perhaps be just the people she was looking for, and if what Aetheria said was true then Swen's betrothed could stand to learn how to...not be so stubborn about things.

Hm. Yes, that would work nicely, wouldn't it? Then it was settled. After everything with Greece was finalized, she'd send them to handle it. Thoughts for later though. For now, she finished changing into a light robe, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Done changing, Fia?"

The red haired girl nodded, walking to the bed in one of her own nightgowns. They had purchased clothes the previous day, and Livia had gave several different dresses to the girls in addition to a few other garments. The way she approached made the girl's discomfort with getting so close fairly obvious, although she made the remainder of the distance without encouragement as she sat next to Livia.

Sleeping with someone else was a new thing to the fourteen year old, and although the closeness was uncomfortable ... it was warm. And neccessary. The previous night of sleep had actually been decent - nothing really occured, and she simply woke up the next day well rested. Livia's magic seemed to work properly when dealing with her dreams, and that was enough to make the girl content.

"... thanks ..." The girl learned the true meaning of the word as she read. For the vast majority of her existence, the crimson haired girl used it as a response for beatings or for eating bread rather than gruel. These past few painless days with a full stomach and the previous restful night showed the girl that the headmistress deserved that at least.

Livia laughed softly.

"No need to thank me, Fia, but you're welcome." There was something...oddly satisfying about being thanked for such mundane things. She couldn't exactly pinpoint what exactly it was, but it definitely was something she didn't mind. More importantly though she hoped Fia got another goods night rest like the last.

"Remember Fia, physical contact is a must." She began, just to make sure the girl remembered. With little else said, Livia yawned. She was a bit tired, and had been feeling more tired than she usually had recently. Nothing that she should be worried about, probably, but on the off chance it was...well, she'd deal with that when it happened.

She had enough time. So she simply laid down on the bed, intent on getting...well, a mostly good nights sleep.

The crimson haired girl nodded after a few seconds, slipping into the covers herself. After a few seconds, Fia placed her hands around Livia's so they had a connection. Despite maintaining physical contact, it seemed the girl wanted as much distance as possible. This probably would not surprise the headmistress.

What would surprise her was when little Fia scooted up to her after a minute, turning around so that she would be in Livia's arms, trusting the older woman not to take advantage of her vulnerability. Livia ... was warm, and her arms were soft, comforting. This woman had sworn she would protect her, and Fia in spite of herself was starting to believe that, even after two days. Something told her to trust this woman, although she didn't know what it was. Just a gut feeling?

The red haired girl took an intake of breath, suggesting that she had something to say, but then released it, deciding against it. Livia's words from earlier ran through her head though, and with her next soft intake of breath a few words came out. "... sometimes .... I ..." The typical few seconds passed as the smaller girl gathered the courage to finish what she was saying. "... I .... missed master ..."

"F-fia?" The first thing she noticed was how warm the girl was, and got the vague notion to try and hug her. She didn't want to startle her though, so she refrained. Still, that was progress. Much faster progress then she had expected. In fact, Livia was rather surprised a the act. The only other person she had been this close to recently, was Katherine. Of course If she wanted to be this close, then she would let her.

She didn't have much longer to question it either way. Not moments after, she said something more surprising and somewhat alarming. That was...decidedly not good. It was good she wanted to talk about it, though, and perhaps there was something Livia could work with there.

"Fia dear, why would you ever miss such a horrible person?" Livia chided somewhat more harshly than she likely intended. It was likely understandable, however. Fia was a familiar. Or at least, a creature that was bound as one might be. Likely the side effects of the bond, then. Something that could likely only be fixed by getting her another master. Unless Fia had just been abused to the point where she actively needed to depend on someone else...if that was the case, then Livia would just have to do her best to address that issue. "But...I suppose it is understandable given the circumstances."

Fia waited half a minute before responding, spending time collecting her thoughts. "... master ... would leave ..." The girl remembered how the man would toss her a waterskin, and chain her to the wall, unable to move more than a foot. "... for ... days ..." Unconciously, the girl crossed her wrists, as if they were bound together still.

Livia listened as intently as she could given the situation. Perhaps she had misunderstood Fia. It wouldn't have been hard to do considering how little she said. That said, she wasn't going to interrupt. She would let Fia speak all she could - she had to learn to speak more confidently and clearly, even if it was difficult too.

The girl shivered slightly, remembering the cold, sleepless nights. Half a minute of these shivers passed, before she was able to collect herself enough to countinue. "... shackled ... rats ... bit ..." When her master was gone, the tower would become infested with more creatures than usual. Perhaps it was magic, but the girl didn't know exactly why. The pests would be her companions, and her enemies. Seeing an easy target, they would wonder up, and try to eat the girl when she was too weak to resist. Any other food was sealed away. Just her.

As she continued, Livia only scowled quietly. This bastard was lucky Katherine had gotten to him instead of her. He'd be finding himself in a very familiar position...and Livia had plenty of things she always wanted to try on someone that would prove of great benefit to her research. Maybe she should make a visit to the reapers again to see if she could get her mitts on his soul.

The headmistress would feel the shaking increase, until the crimson haired girl was obviously sobbing at the memories, days, weeks she wanted to forget. Tears streaked down her face, but the girl simply let them flow, no wiping them up. She'd been trained to cry without resistance.

When the shaking increased, Livia was at first unsure what to do. There was only one thing she could do in this situation, though. The girl was close enough, and Livia would just have to hope she was comfortable enough with a light hug. Livia turned on her side, wrapping a loose arm around the girl. She placed her other hand gently on the girls head. Not enough to be restrictive, and if the girl tried she would very much be able to get away.

"It was scary, I know." Her voice was quiet as she wrapped the girl in a gentle hug, but comforting at least. Above the girls sobs though, it perhaps would have been somewhat difficult to hear.

Fia cradled further into Livia's hug, enjoying the way it dispelled the cold of so many nights spent alone. "... master would ..." More tears continued to fall from her eyes, what she was saying interrupted by constant sobbing. "... harvest ... returning ..." Memories flooded in, the girl almost too shaken up to speak coherently. "... hours ... with me ..." The implication of how that time was spent was rather obvious.

The Phoenix cried, her valuable panacea covering the sheets, then soaking them. "... but ... cold ... worse ..." Her normally broken speech was even harder to interpret as she continued. "... I'd ... want ... him ..." Ashamed, the girl simply fell into quiet, shaking sobs for as long as Livia would let her.

Livia let the girl simply continue to cry. Crying was nothing to be ashamed of. It was an appropriate response to somethings after all, and she cared very little for the valuable substance being spilled on the sheets at all. So in a quiet voice, Livia continued in a quiet tone. She ignored the implications of her words for now. She understood the gist of what happened from her words.

But that wasn't important at the moment.

"Feeling helpless. Trapped. As if you are powerless and unable to do anything other than sit and watch as something terrible happens." It was a feeling she was all too familiar with. A feeling that she wouldn't be forgetting herself any time soon. "Remember, Fia. You are safe now and as long as I am here, you'll never feel cold or lonely again. I promise." She hugged her tighter as she continued. "And here, you'll make friends with other people who would never let you feel that way again. You'll study, learn. If someone ever tries to do that again, you'll be able to defend yourself."

The girl listened to the best of her ability to the sweet promises of Livia and the calm voice in which she spoke. Eventually, the crimson haired girl managed to come up with a question. Her old master had explained that she was useless for magic, and the campus didn't seem like it taught any martial skills she could use. "... defend ... myself ...?"

Livia pulled away from the hug. She was still holding the girl, but there was enough space for her to look at Fia and gave her a warm smile.

"Magic, of course. At least in theory. Even understanding how it works could help one greatly." She replied with a smile. "And while we do not formally teach martial skills quite a few students are well versed with skills other than magic that would likely be more than happy to teach you, should you desire. Miss Lunalel and Lyssa, for example. You met them in the baths the other day. Luna is quite handy with a swords, spears, and martial weapons of every kind if the rumors are true. And Miss Lyssa, while you may not believe it could likely wrestle a bear to the ground quite easily without breaking a sweat with her bare hands. I am...not sure she would be a good teacher though - she dislikes violence from what I've been told due to a...rather tragic accident when she was your age."

Granted...magic itself would have been out of the realm of possibility for the girl considering she was the Phoenix. She wouldn't lie about it and try to mask her abilities with fire, either. She'd have to come up with some way to teach her how to control her flame. Another thing to add to her list of things to do. There was also, of course, the possibility of her gaining another master. Such a thing would likely be quite helpful for the girl...at least, once she was ready to choose someone herself.

Fia nodded slowly, understanding somewhat. It was possible her previous master had been lying of course ... but the idea of getting so confrontational with someone seemed scary. The girl was a little curious about what would qualify as a tragic accident, but didn't say anything about it. The hellion's suffering wasn't any of her buisness ...

The crimson haired girl flipped over slowly, so that she was now facing the headmistress. Fia didn't have much to say, although she considered talking again. She didn't mind being this close to the older woman sometimes ... Livia always seemed calm and collected, which is what she needed.

"Now, if there's nothing else bothering you Fia, I think its late enough and children should be in bed." She gave her a gentle pat on her head when she turned to face her, still smiling gently. "I don't mind talking with you whenever you want too, but it is late and I do have work tomorrow."

The crimson haired girl nodded slightly, with a curious look for being called a child, but she obediently closed her eyes and thou- ... the cried out girl fell asleep in Livia's arms within a minute, the mental work from earlier and the emotional labor of the past few minutes combining.

Livia wasn't surprised she fell asleep as quickly as she did. The work earlier today plus the mental fatigue from remembering some less than pleasant things...it was easy to understand why someone would quickly fall asleep into a realm of comfortable sleep. Thankfully, the girl would easily be able to have one. Livia didn't quite as easily fall asleep as Fia, but didn't do anything regardless, and after a few minutes passed in silence the Headmistress was soon fast asleep herself.

---

The headmistress would find herself on a street, filled with people. Exhaustion filled her lungs, as if she had been running for quite some time. Loud, angry voices screamed in some forgotten tounge as the girl whisked down what appeared to be an alleyway. Their intent was obvious, and the girl was running for her life, bread in hand.

A few minutes passed as the girl took twists, turns, and other ways as she tried to find her way to safety. By some misfortune, she ran into a dead end with high, windowless walls around her, and solid wooden doors her frail limbs were simply too weak to quick open.

The shadows of various pitchforks, scythes, and other farming implements came down the alleyway, approaching. Seconds later the girl knew she would be caught, and in a futile attempt to defend herself drew out a small length of bronze - a simple homemade shank. A hand grasped her from behind ...

A small dining table, with a frail old man and woman, and a glass in her own hand. The conversation was lagged, obviously awkward, though a feeling of deep thanks filled the girl who had been saved from peril. Those around the table countinued to talk about seemingly unimportant matters, the group of them laughing ...

Working in the fields. Hard, rewarding work. The old couple worked, laughing together. The young girl looked into the water, the reflection showing someone who couldn't be older than twelve. Eyes in the most radient blue looked back, seeing hair like the yellow of a fire. The yellow haired girl's vision turned from the pool to the couple with a smile, before she returned to the day's work ...

Chains weighed heavily around her wrists, forcing them up to the bronze collar she was wearing. The rest of her body was bound in a heavy hemp rope, which she couldn't break free from. It was hard to see out of her teary eyes, but the blurry image of the old couple recieving a pouch of coins from a well dressed man - a slaver - was burned clear in her mind ...

Livia would find herself in a nobleman's house, with no indication as to where. For the remainder of the dream, she would be a slave in a greek man's house, being used, beaten, whipped, tourtured, and otherwise abused. Eventually, the urge to escape would come over her, and she would find herself running through a field ... until a spear point protruded from her chest ...

---

"... Livia ...?" Fia was shaking the sleeping woman who appeared to be waking up. The woman was sweating profusely with a pained expression on her face. Once again, the crimson haired girl's dreams were clean of pain ... but the headmistress looked like as if she had just been whipped.

Livia woke with a start, sitting up on the bed and sweating profusely and breathing heavily. A hand was held to her head as she breathed heavily. Was...what?...that was...definitely a dream but it had seemed quite real. She couldn't recall everything after waking, but what she did she remembered in vivid detail. The mob, the kindly seeming older couple, the inevitable betrayal of them selling her - well, Fia - to some slave trader. After seeing this, she briefly wondered why she worked so hard to do what she did when humans were collectively terrible people.

...no, that was a bad thought. She hadn't thought such things since she was eighteen and was finally skilled enough to be a respectable mage in her own right without apprenticing under someone. And...was someone touching her? Her head turned, looking over to Fia with some look of surprise.

"Fia?...What..." She took a few moments to calm herself, and collect her thoughts more coherently. "I apologize," Livia finally said with a small smile to Fia. "Seems I had a bad dream of my own. Nothing to worry about, though I promise." She made a mental note to remember everything she saw. She needed to write it down later.

Fia nodded, seeming somewhat relieved that the headmistress was alright. The girl had heard that the older one got, the 'better' nightmares became, but perhaps the same thing didn't apply to Livia? Or maybe all mages? The red haired girl moved away from the headmistress, hopping off the bed. They had spent the night close to eachother, but for now the girl seemed content to keep a distance. "... so ..." The girl put her fingers together and looked down nervously, wondering what plans Livia had for the day.

Livia was glad the girl didn't press the issue. what time was it though? She glanced through one of the windows in her room. Early morning...long enough to get a fairly decent amount of rest despite the rather suddenness of waking. She pulled the covers off of her as Fia got off the bed, keeping a bit of distance. She was a bit disappointed, but last night had been somewhat tiring for the girl and it was likely it could have just been a one time thing.

"So, more work for me. I have to get some proper planning done with Clete and you, are going to practice writing and reading more."

The girl nodded in confirmation, getting ready for the day. Another day of peace and stability in her life.

Metaphorical Infant

Welcome!

St. Sappho Academy, Medieval Magic Academy (Invite Only)

@Rune_Alchemist Goodnight then!

St. Sappho Academy, Medieval Magic Academy (Invite Only)

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St. Sappho Academy, Medieval Magic Academy (Invite Only)

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St. Sappho Academy, Medieval Magic Academy (Invite Only)

Chairs, Nightmares, And Gods

Livia and Fia

After the bath, Livia took Fia straight to her home. It was on campus, towards the back of the Academy within its own little cut off Villa, close to the gardens. Livia's home was as one might expect. From the outside, one could see it was two stories and quite large. A few lamps lit the outside of the house, illuminating the front door. The building itself seemed to be made of smooth brick, likely polished with magic. The roof had red tiles covering it in a sloped fashion, so rain water would not collect in it. Livia paused for a few moments in the gardens, to let Fia get a good look at it if she wished, but didn't linger for long and made her way inside.

As soon as they opened the door, Livia was greeted by one of her servants who offered tea, but she politely declined telling the man he had the rest of the night off. Looking around the room, it was sophisticated yet simple. The room they were in was a large, a plush violet carpet with sofas, chairs and a small table covering the floor near a fireplace some steps away. The floor itself was polished tiles, kept to a clean shine likely by the servants. A few decorative ornaments hung on the walls.

Stairs leading up could be seen not far away to their left, and a hallway leading to the servants quarters was close by. Another hallway on the opposite end of the room likely lead to kitchens, a dining room, and maybe a few other areas. The stairs leading up, likely led to her and some guest bedrooms.

"Well, here we are little Fia. This is going to be your new home for a bit."

The red haired girl wore a simple gown as she walked back, far superior to the rags she normally wore. As she looked around the gardens and the house, she realized how rich and powerful Livia must be to afford such grand designs. She took a look around the room, seeing a carpet that looked more comfortable than anything she had ever slept on, a well cushioned sofa and ...

Immediately, Fia bolted for the door, only to realize it wouldn't open up after twisting the knob frantically several times. She looked at Livia with something akin to terror, eyes wide as adreniline activated within her. A second later, she dashed out of the room and straight into the nearest exit, and after fumbling with several doorknobs again realized none of them would open for her. Tired, exhausted, and scared, the girl simply found the nearest corner and started crying. It was going to happen. Again. She'd give anything not to be put in those again. The pain, over and over and over and again ....

Livia was surprised to see Fia bolt like that. She had not expected that at all, but her own surprise was irrelevant. Something had upset the poor girl, and she had to find out what it was. If it was just something in the room, then that was something she was going to have to work towards fixing, as she was going to have to get used to it regardless. The headmistress quietly walked over to the corner of the room Fia had claimed as her own. She knelt down, making sure not to get too close to the girl and remain a comfortable distance away.

"Fia, dear. Whatever is the matter?"

Fia looked up hopelessly into those kind eyes. The woman remained distant, and yet ... the crimson haired girl pointed straight at the object of her terror, soft words forming and then leaving her lips without sound, as if she had suddenly gone mute. After a few seconds too long of having viewed the object, the Phoenix simply brought her knees to her chest and hid her face from the world, trying to become small and insignificant. Finally, something audible left her lips. ".... please don't ..."

Livia shook her head, sighing and inching slightly closer to her.

"Fia, I told you - I will not harm you, and I will not let anything harm you while you are here. If you don't believe me, that is fine. I hope in time you can grow to trust me." She let her words sink in for a few silent seconds for continuing. "I won't do anything to you, and those...chairs will not harm you in any way." So she was scared of chairs then. That was...bad, but understandable. Unfortunately, she couldn't just make them up and leave. They were rather expensive and she really didn't want to get rid of them. As she spoke, she continued to give Fia a warm smile.

"So please, if you could stand..."

Fia looked upwards, towards Livia, and saw the older woman's kind smile, warm like a small fire. But her eyes drifted downwards ... saw the object of her fear not too far away ... and cowered once again, hiding herself from the world. The phoenix's body shook as she sobbed once again, her mind drifting off to whatever past she had experienced. "... I ... I can't ..." A long pause passed between the beginning and the end of her sentence. "... give ... take ... anymore ... please ..." The girl's amber eyes returned up to Livia, filled with water as they looked into hers, begging.

Livia sighed. Well, that wasn't going so well. It seemed the only option here was to get rid of the chairs. So be it then. She would get rid of them...at least for now. She would have to try and get Fia used to them over the course of the week. But for now, it was too late and stressing the girl out any more wasn't a good idea. Livia stood and walked over to the chairs, waving a hand upwards causing the three of them suddenly started levitating, and floated out of sight down one of the hallways and quickly were removed from sight. Still this was going to be...difficult to take care of. They obviously weren't the only chairs in the house.

...well, she'd have her spirits take care of them. All of the chairs in the building were found, and suddenly put somewhere not in plain sight. While this was going on, Livia walked back over to Fia, kneeling once again next to the girl.

"See? All gone, nothing to be scared of at all."

The crimson haired girl looked upwards after a few seconds, noticing the source of her terror disappeared. Fia simply looked around, blinking several times, looking impossibly confused at what just occured. She had seen magic, but that only consisted of small illusions and the such, not removing several large ... devices. Memories and dreams showever her visions of things much more powerful, a time when a whisk of her hand could curse thousands. But her former master never had such power ... and the other woman seemed to control only a few dolls. Fia's legs went slack, and using the wall to help she stood up, nodding slightly towards the older woman. The girl was curious, but she wouldn't press for anything else. The terrors were gone, and she could live with that.

"Curious as to how I did it?" She smiled softly. "Well, maybe tomorrow if there is enough time I can show you something." Livia replied, standing up. "But it is late, and I am sure you've been through enough today and I myself am rather tired. So, come along upstairs and we'll get you settled in."[/color] With that, Livia made her way up stairs where the bedrooms were, making sure Fia was following and that there were not any chairs in any visible distance. Fia followed obediently, eyes drifting around the house as she walked through it.

It didn't take long for her to reach the smaller guest room. She couldn't put her in the larger one, after all, that was meant for more...important people than Fia. The room was richly decorated as they all were, however, with a fine white carpet covering the area around the large bed where bright green covers decorated the bed.

"You, can sleep here if you wish, or you can sleep in my room with me if you are not comfortable sleeping alone."

As Fia listened to Livia's words ... she yawned. As the headmistress offered her an option, she looked back and forth in her mind. The desire to be alone and distant fought against the loneliness and cold of many nights being locked away. And ... did she trust this woman? Amber eyes rested on those of the headmistress, trying to read into them. The woman had stated she would reveal things later ... and hadn't done anything to cause fear ... but ... A minute passed ... and another ... and another ...

It looked like the girl would fall asleep before she made a decision, caught between two evils.

Seeing the girls indecision, Livia smiled softly. She didn't want to rush the girl, but it seemed like she was about to fall asleep standing up. Considering this girls disposition she was surprised she was considering it at all, but she didn't want to rush things and have the girl have another episode.

[color=a187be]"Well, for now how about you sleep here?"[/color[ Livia said. "And if you need anything at all, little one - I will be sleeping in the room at the far end of the hallway. I shall keep it open, just for you."

For a second, the girl paused, and wondered if this was some sort of trap. After a few moments, she nodded, heading slowly into the bedroom and scanning the place. Like the rest of the place, it was decorated for a king, although this place was significantly smaller. Once her quick search was done, she lifted the sheets ... and smelled them. The girl blinked a few times, surprised by the fabrics softness and almost sweet smell. Then she climbed into the bed, laid her head on the pillow, curled up slightly ...

The sound of soft breathing was the only thing remaining in the room after a few seconds. The exhausted girl had fallen asleep before being able to say 'good night'.

Livia smiled, and said nothing. She closed the door to the room, though left it open just in case. After a quick word to one of the servants that was still up and telling them not to clean the room in the morning for fear of possibly startling fia, she went to her room and quickly fell asleep.

---

For a few hours, the house remained in peaceful silence, nothing aside from the low creaking of wood in any structure. Just as dawn hit the sky and long before the majority of the houses people awoke, a scream echoed through the halls in such volume that the entire house would find themselves startled awake.

Fia found herself awake, ambers wide, shaking in the comfortable bed she had slept in. Sweat poured from her skin and tears ran down her eyes. The Phoenix still had difficulty comprehending what she had seen in her sleep ... love ... darkness ... the death of thousands ... no, hundreds of thousands in the blink of an eye. The waves crashing down, the fall of home. The feeling of inescapeable, indescribeable loneliness as she wondered through the channels of life.

Zaliki. Who was that? Why was she called that?

Livia woke too, of course, and within seconds she had already gotten a dressed in a simple blue robe that would be enough to dress herself with for now, until it was time to get to work. A servant was already outside of Fia's room, obviously following instruction of some sort but she quickly waved him off and told him to to make some small breakfast for the two of them. She doubted either of them would be going back to sleep anytime soon.

For fear of startling the girl more, Livia knocked lightly on the door, slowly opening as she poked her head into the room.

"Fia, dear? Are you alright?"

The crimson haired girl stared downwards for just a bit longer, until she heard a knock on the door. Fia practically jumped, then looked around as panic set in. Where was she? That lady at the door wasn't her master?! Who ... who was that? Standing on the bed, she wondered why she was able to move. Did the mage forget to tie her down? A few soft words ran past her ears, but the girl didn't seem to pay them any heed. She grabbed a vase, ready to use it to defend herself.

Obvious confusion went over her face as the girl gradually calmed down, and after a minute she was able to recollect a majority of the previous day's events. Of course. She had been removed from her master, and brought over to this school. This strange woman and her had made a deal. Eventually a stammering, quiet voice left the crimson haired girl, amber eyes looking towards the well decorated carpet. "... n-nothing ... y-yes ..." Despite her usual timidity, it was easy to tell the girl was lying. Eventually, she placed the vase down where it belonged, returning it to the table.

Livia chuckled quietly. Well, she really shouldn't be laughing but she always had found timidity somewhat endearing. She ignored the girls behavoir for the most part. Chances were she was still recovering from last night and had difficulty recalling everything at once, so there was no need to majorly worry about it. Instead, she walked into the room, quietly closing the door behind her and quietly locking it behind her.

Livia walked calmly over to the bed, taking a seat on the edge of it - hopefully the girl wouldn't mind this distance too much.

"You know, its not good to lie, Fia." She said softly. "If something is troubling you, its perfectly alright to talk about it. I can understand if you do not want to tell me, so if you are adamant about it I won't push it." She chuckled softly again, looking over to the vase. "Perhaps you'd feel more comfortable telling your new friend there?"

Fia realized she was still standing up on the sheets, and eventually took Livia's cue and sat down on the opposite end of the bed. Her face was flushed slightly as she realized how ridiculous her defensive items were. A book and a vase ...

Of course, the headmistress wanted to know what was going on. Fia picked up the vase off the nightstand again, looking at it as she spoke. "... Dreams .... Zaliki ...?" She wasn't a person of many words, and most likely neither the vase nor Livia would understand what she was saying.

Still, she was curious if the headmistress knew anything. It was entirely possible though that this was part of their deal about her attending the school. The crimson haired girl wasn't quite sure.

Zaliki?...she had no idea what that was. It sounded like a name. Perhaps Ancient Egypt in origin? Sounded Mesopotamian or at least around that area, perhaps. She had no knowledge to help Fia here, but now that the name had been brought up she would definitely do some research. Perhaps she could help with the dreams somewhat, however. It wasn't too much of a stretch to say the girl was likely having either nightmares from her time in captivity, or those relating to her previous life. She would need to ask and get a bit more information if possible.

"I can't say I know what or who 'Zaliki' is...but Dreams?" Livia replied, still speaking softly. "What sort of dreams, if you don't mind? Nightmares about...your previous master?"

The girl still looked towards the vase, spinning it slowly in her hands just simply to have something to touch. After a few seconds, she shook her head. As the years went by, they had gradually grown more coherent ... but still, the 'scenes' within them changes so frequently that they were hard to track. The quiet voice left Fia's lips once more. "... No ... Bloodless Death ... Waves ..." Amber eyes looked over towards Livia, trying to see if she had any answers.

So, dreams about her past life then. She didn't want to lie to the girl, but this did in fact pertain to the deal they had made last night. That said, she had no idea why dreams of her past lives would trouble her so. Certainly the Phoenix probably did some less than reputable things at times, but she couldn't fathom why they would distress her, but it wasn't important.

I will admit...I do have some knowledge of this." Livia replied, smile fading somewhat into a more serious expression. "But...unfortunately it pertains to the deal we made the previous night, and as such I am afraid I am unable to speak of it in detail. However...I will say that perhaps in the coming semester that you will maybe grow to understand these dreams a bit. Until then...if you keep having these nightmares, please, do not hesitate to ask for my help, Fia. I will help you as best as I can."

At this point the girl paused for a few moments. But a few precious seconds passed, and the girl realized that these nightmares ... they had been getting worse. Periodically something cheerful would come up, or something that made her feel ... strong. Usually though they rounded in a circle of pain, tourture, and heartache. They had driven her mad on more than one occasion, and even threats from her master couldn't calm her panic. Perhaps Livia had some sort of magical power? "... help ...?"

"I certainly can. I am quite skilled with things relating to the soul. In some circles dreams and the soul are quite closely related." She replied with a friendly smile. "Though...It will require physical contact for me to perform this."

Fia blinked a few times, and cringed slightly at the thought. But this woman had bathed her earlier, and it hadn't hurt too badly. "... contact ...?" The phoenix wanted Livia to elaborate. If something could help, she wanted to know what it was.

"Nothing too serious, Fia I promise." She continued to give her a gentle smile. "Nothing intrusive. Just a small touch. All I'll need is your hand." Livia held out her own hand for Fia to take. Of course, if she could directly touch the girls chest or head, the process would be easier and much faster but it would do. Fia had let her wash her back easily enough, but it was clear she was still uncomfortable with it.

After taking a small breath to gather her courage, the red haired girl extended her hand towards the woman. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she closed her eyes and tried to relax. However, her muscles remained tense. It was odd, she was willing to let someone mess with her soul who she was uncomfortable touching. After a second, the girl nodded.

Livia gently took the girls hand in the palm of hers, and gently placed her other one over it. Compared to hers, Fia's hands were incredibly small, but also warm. Like a little fire unlike her cold ones. She was actually doing this for two reasons. For one, she really did want to help Fia with the nightmares. If possible she would love to do that. However...she also wanted to get a good look at this creature known as the 'phoenix' soul. So she would. She wouldn't do anything aside from observe for a few seconds, but with her skill a few seconds would be all she needed unless it was something incredibly complex. Livia closed her eyes, starting the process. As far as Fia was concerned, she wouldn't feel anything at all at the moment.

Livia would suddenly feel herself pulled into a void by some unspeakably powerful force, as if god gripped her within his grasp, pulling her downwards into whatever abyss it felt like. A deep feminine voice would suddenly speak slowly, echoing against nothingness. "State your intentions, heiress." It's voice was not threatening, but rather ... curious. Almost amused.

Well, that was interesting. Powerful voice aside, this was certainly...some sort of godly presence. Amusing...and also infuriating for her. This...nothingness. What was it? Something having to do with her Soul, most likely. Looking into the soul of the Phoenix certainly carried its risk but this was outside the realm of her calculations.

"My...this is interesting." Heiress? What did that even mean? She put her own questions on hold for now, though. The voice was far from threatening, but that didn't mean it wasn't. One always had to be on their guard against a being such as...whatever this was. She wouldn't let herself be fooled by some negligent god again.

"Heiress? I am curious as to what you mean by that...but I shall save that for later. My own curiosity of this soul aside, I am simply attempting to help a frightened girl to get a better nights sleep."

If one could feel the cocking of a single eyebrow, Livia would feel it. Then laughter followed, becoming louder and louder and louder as if it sought to overwhelm the mind. The darkness suddenly cleared, and Livia would find herself suspened in an endless sky, clear blue extending for eternity in all directions.

A large grey heron, wearing a strange egyptian crown flew before her. Two women appeared nearby, one with dark skin and the other almost glowing. A second later, the three were consumed by fire which threatened to overwhelm the invader. The fire eventually came into the form of a majestic bird with a wingspan easily over a hundred feet. "Help her ... sleep? Did she wake up early ...?"

Either this was the worst alcohol induced dream she was having or something else was going on here. Livia honestly had no idea what was going on, but she kept calm for the most part. When the large fire, she went on the defensive, thinking this might be an attack by some otherworldly creature. Even when it turned into a giant bird, Livia was still on edge. It was obviously a holy being of some sort, and one she didn't entirely approve of. That Heron she saw was some sort of connection to Egypt. What, she couldn't be sure, but it was definitely a point she would make certain to remember so she could research more.

"I am...unsure what you mean by that. I just know she is having nightmares and trouble sleeping. Perhaps about her previous lives."

A few seconds passed as the firey bird brought it's head in closer, it's beak ending within a foot of Livia's head. "... Your heart would not weigh well on the scales, but I shall assist you." The bird backed up to a more comfortable distance, before coutinuing to speak. "There is one solution you know of, and the other you do not. While she sleeps, maintain contact with her. Experience it in her stead, and inform her of what you learn. Do this well, and no nightmare will touch her. You are capable of this, at least in magical terms."

Heart would not weigh on the scales? The scales that Anubis used to weigh the heart as described in Egyptian mythology? Interesting. She simply stared up at the bird, obviously still not intimidated, though her expression had changed to one of displeasure. She was frowning, eyes narrowed into a slight glare as it was becoming more and more obvious she was indeed, dealing with some sort of deity here. She was of course, not opposed to experiencing the dreams in her stead. It wasn't like she was going to be frightened by such a thing.

However...

"Hmph. I care not for how some haughty negligent...god judges my soul." She replied showing zero respect for the entity before her. Her own voice was arrogant, condescending, and downright rude. She cared very little should it decide to retaliate in some manner. She was quite certain she was capable of defending herself from it should it decide to have its selfish pride hurt. "However, I am certainly capable of such a task...though it would be...somewhat difficult for me. I have already made a deal with the girl to tell her all that I already know after a certain amount of time has passed. Fia - the girl, has...had a rather difficult life until now. I would rather not go back on that deal as it might come off as somewhat suspicious, and I would rather not cause the girl any more undue stress. So if your deal is to immediately tell her these things, I will decline, creature. However, if you allow me to hold off on telling her until this time has passed...I will do it gladly."

The creature, oddly, seemed to laugh slightly. A bright light from a sunless sky suddenly grew brighter, and whisps of sand billowed forth. "If you are honoring something with us, then I accept. Go forth, heiress."

As Livia returned to the room, Fia's eyes would appear to be obviously fading from a bright light to her normal amber. A few seconds passed as she regained recollection of her surroundings. "... what ...?" She hadn't experienced the vision, and instead had only seen and felt ... nothing. Not darkness, but the abscense of anything. It was as if time skipped, but she was aware of it's passing. It was rather obvious the girl was confused.

Fia was not the only once to be confused. Damn these gods and their damnable playing around with mortals and damn their damn damn damn it... The fact that they thought they could play around so easily with the life of a mortal, or anyone really, was simply appalling. Her irritation and displeasure would only show for a few seconds on her face, however, as she was quickly brought back to reality at hearing Fia's soft voice. She cleared her throat. Well, at least she accomplished something here, if that thing could even be trusted, and she doubted it.

No 'god' could be trusted. Not in the slightest.

"I have a solution to your dream problems." She replied with a friendly smile. "Though, you may find the method a bit less than...desirable. You will have to sleep in the same room as I...and maintaining physical contact is also a must."

The girl waited a few seconds, before nodding. To her, these nightmares were self-destructive, and maddening. She'd do anything to be rid of them, and if a little discomfort was the price she would accept it. Fia had contemplated commiting suicide more than once because of them.

It seemed that was settled, and for once Fia gave off a slight smile of relief, a single hand running through her hand. Her daily tourtures were done with ... as were her nightly ones .... hopefully. "... thanks ..." For a moment she wondered what would replace them, but she could not wonder for long.

Livia smiled, in obvious relief herself.

"Excellent. Now, get up and get dressed!" Livia said with some excitement. "Breakfast first, then I shall give you a tour of the campus before I get to work and you get to learning reading and writing."

The girl waited for a few seconds before nodding ... then a look of confusion went accross her face as she looked down at the nightgown she was wearing. She pointed towards it, truly not understanding. "... dressed ...?"

It was going to be a long day for Livia, with lots of one or two word questions.

St. Sappho Academy, Medieval Magic Academy (Invite Only)

~The Bathhouse~

~Livia, Katherine, Fia, Lyssa, Luna~

The trek to the bathhouse wasn't a long one. Livia made sure that Fia was following them though, and kept a somewhat slow pace so the girl could keep up without too much difficulty. It was close to the gardens, allowing for quite the scenic view on the way there, and offering quite the relaxing atmosphere that a bathhouse needed. From the outside, the building appeared similar as the rest of the academy, elegantly designed yet also simple. Two large doors led into the place and this late most students would have already used it, though there were bound to be a few stragglers. Not that it was much of an issue, most probably wouldn't come near the headmistress.

She ushered Katherine and Fia inside, making herself enter last for now. They first entered the changing rooms, getting rid of most of their clothes and getting a few towels to take with them into the bathhouse. Inside of the place was...well, richly decorated. The entire place was styled after what could have possibly been found in Ancient Rome. The bath itself was large, rectangular in shape. Large pillars lined the edge of the pool in regular intervals, holding the open aired balcony above and the glass roof above. During the night, the room was well lit by a few low hanging chandeliers and lamps on the walls. The temperature inside was pleasantly warm, at all times thanks to the fact the water was heated almost 24/7.

"I do so enjoy the baths for a number of reasons." Livia chuckled quietly as she shot a somewhat suggestive look over to Katherine. Unfortunately, they were not going to be able to indulge in that activity at the moment, they had another reason for being here. She stepped into the water, making sure to take the towel off from around her body as she did so.

"Come on in, Fia, the water is heated perfectly - and we will get you clean."

Fia had been looking around ever since they left the office. The girl saw so many things that were strange, yet had appeared within her dreams. Plants arranged ornately, a cobblestone path beneath her feet. But when she entered the bathhouse, that sense of familiarity increased - as if she was at home, even though she had never imagined the place within the realm of sleep. The partially marble architecture somehow seemed ... comforting, as if she was returning to a the most pleasant of dreams.

The girl followed Livia's lead, noticing the heamistress' constant watchful eye. She changed with as much privacy as she could manage, but when the time came to enter the water she looked at it with a small amount of fear. A nervous toe entered the pool, and after she confirmed it was warm the girl sighed with relief.

Anyone still behind the crimson haired girl when the towel dropped would notice that her back was torn in various places. Some of the scars were obviously from whips, but other wounds appeared to be far too deep and wide. Most of them had faded, but several of them were incredibly fresh, the bruises still forming and small amounts of liquid seeping out. It would be hard to examine them further, because a second after the towel dropped the girl entered the water, letting it go up to her chin.

Katherine didn't care too much about keeping herself private. As she took her clothes off, she dropped them on the floor for her dolls to pick up and fold. One person there had already seen much of her. . . Intimately. The other, well, she didn't care much about showing off in the first place. "Those are quite some injuries." The woman muttered to herself. She started to wonder if she let the man off too easily.

"Unless Phoenixes are too different from most other things, I'm pretty sure those could be healed. Still though, no need to be shy. I'm sure it's nothing we've not seen before." Not that she was a very comforting person to listen to. "And we're all women. We've definitely seen all of that before as well."

Ah...well, Katherine had to go ruin the fun. Well...that was fine. Well, what was said was said and she would tell Fia about that at a later date if she was curious. For now though, they had another reason for being here and she wouldn't be answering any questions like that just now.

"Ah...you had to go and open that mouth of yours." Livia replied with a bit of an amused smile."I'll have to discipline you later for that, my precious student." The implications of what that 'discipline' exactly was, was probably incredibly obvious. "Fia, come here dear." Near the edge of the large bath was a ledge where one could sit and relax and Liva took a seat there, indicated that Fia should come sit near her.

Kathrine's mention of the Phoenix and Livia's indication that Kathrine wasn't supposed to mention that allowed Fia to quickly put two and two together. Of course, the crimson haired girl was curious, although now her dreams seemed to make a lot more sense.

Seven feet away, the fourteen year old sat down to the left of Livia, obviously trying to keep some distance. The abused girl wasn't exactly the most touchy feely sort of person, and the pair of them obviously had something they were hiding. Her amber eyes drifted towards the water, the girl obviously deep in thought.

Livia laughed softly at Fia's hesitance. Well, she shouldn't be surprised really, but it was somewhat disappointing. That said, she wasn't going to force the girl to let her wash her, so this proved to be somewhat troubling. Well, there was a simple, obvious solution here.

"Well, Little Fia," She began giving her a soft smile. "You can either let me wash you, let Katherine do it, or let the dolls take care of you." She had brought a few cloths to use so she could give her a good scrubbing, but if Fia wasn't going to let her, then she might as well hand them over. She grabbed one of the small ones that was resting on the edge of the bath. "I suppose if you can though, you are perfectly capable of doing it yourself. Make sure you do it good if you do. You look like you haven't had a proper wash...ever."

Of course, Livia was right. Magic within the pool prevented the filth from spreading through the water, but there was enough grime on the girl that simply stepping into the water wouldn't remove everything. And there were hard to reach places on anyone's body, like upper back. Fia had an idea of what clean meant, but a brief look up at Livia suggested that any job she could do by herself would be utterly deficent in quality.

Something told the fourteen year old that Livia was not exactly the right person to piss off. A brief glance at the dolls and the murderer made Fia scoot closer to Livia, until she was about only two feet away. Of course, she was used to getting touched, but never pleasantly and rarely with consent. Despite Livia's best attempt to be kind, it was obvious that the girl was tensed up as if preparing for the worst.

Meanwhile, it was hardly Katherine's concern. . . For now. Sometimes Katherine didn't enjoy Livia's "disciplinary" actions. She got very zealous at those times. Still, she just had to enjoy it for now. Earlier, she though a bath would go well with a glass of wine, and the doll she commanded to do so just arrived. She sat on the edge of the bath as about six dolls worked together to scrub her body. "You should just let Livia wash you. It's a pain to was yourself after all. Of course, the dolls can wash you as well. They just love to help." She grabbed the glass of wine and took a sip. Tasted as she imagined.

The red haired girl by now had figured out the dolls weren't purely spear wielding murderers. However, her choice with Livia was made clear as she scooted slightly closer to the headmistress, tension slightly relieved but still obvious.

"Must you always drink?" Livia teased Katherine, though she could hardly talk herself. While she didn't drink all that often, if she wasn't always so busy she'd likely be definitely classified as an alcoholic. Instead, she probably took up half of the campus' tea herself. It was a good substitute after all. She'd occasionally have a drink late at night or during special occasions, but for the most part she only allowed herself tea. That said, the display had at least made Fia scoot a bit closer to her, even if she stilled seemed a bit hesitant. She would need to be gentle then.

Livia took the cloth and dipped it in the warm water, quietly and gently moving behind the girl. She started with her back, taking note of the several scars and wounds on her back. Seriously, that man...she would have loved to get her mitts on his soul so he could repay that pain ten fold. But thoughts for later. Livia made sure to be gentle as she could, but she had to get at least somewhat forceful to make sure she got all the dirt out.

"Really, you should enjoy yourself." Livia said as she continued the wash, smiling somewhat impishly. "A lot of the students would love getting a wash from me personally." That was actually rather debatable, but Livia liked to imagine she was popular among the students.

As time went by, the girl's muscles gradually began to relax, closing her eyes. Of course, shots of pain ran through her body when Livia scrubbed the more recent wounds, but pain of that level was considered trivial to the abused girl by that point. Eventually, the fourteen year old found herself not really minding the contact, and actually found herself enjoying the feeling of cleanliness left after Livia's work. Their natural closeness and the fact she hadn't really been betrayed yet caused Fia to trust just a bit more. A quiet voice left Fia's lips, asking a one worded question. "... Phoenix ...?" Of course, she hand't forgotten what Kathrine had said, either.

Livia hummed quietly when Fia asked that question. While Livia didn't think now was the time to discuss such matters, the question couldn't be avoided now, could it? However - perhaps she could both have a bit of fun with this and ensure that Fia learned some things and then learned a bit about the phoenix in the end? Telling her she was some powerful being right now would be bad.

...so there was a good way to go about this.

"Hmm...you want to know, do you?" Livia finally replied after a few moments of thought, smile forming on her lips. "I certainly know some things, little Fia...but some things might be better left unknown, at least for now." she continued to gently wash the girl. "However, it is not my place to keep information about yourself from you...so..lets say we make a deal, little one."

Anyone would be curious at this point. The girl nodded slowly though, wondering what exactly was going on. "... a ... deal ...?"

Livia smiled, well she hadn't said no.

"Well, little one. I run a school. A place of learning for young people like yourself. They learn magic, make friends, laugh, and...well, generally live their lives here learning magic and academics until they are grown." Livia continued to wash as she spoke. "Those are all things I think you need, Fia. So my deal is simple. Attend this school for one semester, make friends, get good grades in your classes...and if you do, at the end of the semester, I will tell you everything I know about the Phoenix. About you."

Of course, it would never be so simple as a yes or no answer. "... What are ... friends?" The girl had managed to get a good idea of what magic was: it was how her old master punished her. The girl had an idea of what a school was, because Livia just told her what it was. Laughter is the joyous sound a person makes when they dominate another, the mage she had spent her entire life with had given plenty of demonstrations.

Livia sighed, looking down at Fia as she paused for a moment. Really, now...that was to be expected but it was still somewhat depressing. Still, she had just the answer for the little redhead.

"That my dear, should be something for you to figure out yourself isn't it?" She simply replied. "If I tell you all the answers, then you won't learn anything."

The redhead cocked her head slightly as the back rubs stopped, feeling strangely sad that they had. It was odd, but despite Fia's growing suspicion that she would never get a straight answer from the woman she felt some sort of inherent trust towards her. Livia's combination of a gentle demenor and well picked words kept the girl generally calm enough for there not to be a problem.

Suddenly, right beside Fia, there was a splash of water. If she looked, she'd initially only noticed some ripples in the water...and something pink submerged beneath the water. Seconds later, there was a large splash of water that would have covered almost everyone present. In the center of it, the self-proclaimed most adorable thing on the face of the planet was standing as confident and bright eyed as ever as she gave Fia a bright grin.

"Waaaah, how can you not know what friends are! They're the most important things on earth! They give tons of cuddles, hugs, and feed you lots of sweets!~" She was also completely naked, of course.

A look of fear at the sudden surprise ran across Fia's now drenched face, who jumped out of the tub to avoid the sudden surprise and sprinted to hide behind one of the pillars, slipping as she reached her destination and falling painfully onto her knees. Tears, the natural mechanism to display one's helplessness in the face of a dominant party, started welling up in her eyes.

After Lyssa jumped into the water, a group of three dolls stopped attending to Katherine and moved over to where Lyssa was roughly. Two of them grabbed the last and quickly threw it at the girl that jumped into the water. "Bath etiquettes are everything, student!" The doll slammed the girl in the head, making a resounding ring either from the Doll or Lyssa. Whichever had the more hollow head. It then delievered a strong chop to her head.

"Owie!" But that was all the demon could manage before losing her balance and falling backwards into the bathwater.

Of course, it was just afterward that Katherine realized who the girl was exactly. "Oh, it's that one girl from earlier Livia." She wasn't supposed to do anything bad to her or whatever. . .

It was then that Lunalel cautiously made her way into the room, holding a towel in front of her body to cover up all the vital parts keeping an eye on it to make sure it stayed so. "Lyssa, you're supposed to be gentle in the bath. It'll disturb the others in it. . . Not that there should. . .Be any. . ." Her eyes raised to see the Headmistress, the one teacher from the previous day and another girl she didn't recognize. It looked as if all the heat went to her face at once. "Oh. . . Umm, good evening Headmistress. Miss Lindall." She glanced over the two quickly, before avoiding her eyes.

Well now, this was certainly an interesting development. Perhaps...hmm...despite the demon Princesses over exuberance in the pursuit of 'friendship' she was...well the most suited to teaching someone what 'friendship' was. Hrm. If she could get Fia to not be afraid of her as she obviously was now, then this could turn out rather well. But more importantly, Luna. Her eyes drifted over to the knight, giving her an eager smile. Despite the knights own scars...she was still, well, attractive and Livia couldn't help but too mess with her a little.

"My, hello there Lunalel. It's a surprise to see you here so late." She chuckled lightly. "Come, join us. I'll be with you in a moment, I need to take care of something regarding Little Fia here. Katherine, reprimand Miss Lyssa, would you? Nothing to harsh, though please." She got out of the water, walking over to where Fia was.

Finally being able to get back above the water, Lyssa made another, though smaller splash as she gasped for air as she came up. "Noo, I'm sorry! Adorable humans don't get reprimanded." Ignoring her, Livia focused on Fia.

Katherine merely sat there and sipped on her wine as Lyssa begged. "Then learn the proper manners for bathhouse useage." The doll held on to the girl's head trying to keep out of the water. . . And because it found it fun. It was also messing with her hair a bit. More of a nuisence than actually malicious.

"I apologize about that, little Fia. If I had known she was there I would have stopped that from happening." She gave her a smile. "Do you think you can stop crying and get out form behind that Pillar? She's not going to hurt you, I promised, didn't I?"

The girl named Fia took a peek around the pillar for a second, looking towards the terrifying girl. Based on the way she was begging for mercy though, it seemed that the headmistress and her friend were still in charge. The tears stopped after a second, and eventually the crimson haired girl headed towards Livia, placing the tall woman between herself the scary creature, and also ensuring the headmistress put as much as possible between herself and Lunallel. New people were unpredictable, and this entire day of insanity was naturally proof.

Of course, this pink girl was also rather stupid. Begging ones betters for mercy always resulted in more punishment. Fia had learned long ago that thanking them for their cruel lessons usually had better resuts. However, the crimson haired girl didn't want to interfere with the headmistresses plan and seemed content to remain silent.

Lyssa had taken to simply trying to rather unsuccessfully pry the doll off of her head as it went and messed up her hair, and generally made a nuisance of itself on her head. In the end though, she couldn't manage it. At least, not without breaking it and she had no desire to end up in more trouble than she already was. So with a defeated cry she ended up at the edge of the bath, chest resting on the edge of the pool as her arms extended over the edge. Her face was face down, and the doll was using her head as a convenient little chair.

Lunalel acted reserved as Livia invited her to the bath with them. "I suppose I can join you all. I suppose it was my plan originally, so I shall." She walked over to the other side of where Livia was and kept her eyes down, not to peer upon the splendor of the elder women in the room. She did peek up when Livia bid over that other girl in the room. She hadn't noticed before, but the girl was dirty and injured. "That girl. . . Is she injured? I have minor healing abilities, I don't know if it'll help but I could try helping." She offered, feeling at a scar on her back. At the least, healing with magic should not hurt.

Right, Fia was still injured slightly wasn't she? That should have been her first priority...though, it wasn't like the phoenix had to really worry about such things in the long run. That said, she wasn't just going to leave her like that either. With a smile, Livia walked back over to the water, slipping back in as she motioned for Fia to get back in.

"Little Fia, please do join us again." She turned back to Luna. "Certainly, Luna. It would be very helpful if you could if Fia does not mind."

The crimson haired girl noticed that her wall disappeared, and she obediently followed Livia and returned to the bath, making sure to sit opposite of crazy-pink-hair. Of course, she heard 'Luna' make the suggestion to heal her, and Livia seemed to approve. The girl nodded without much certainty, as if she wasn't too comfortable with this.

Luna made her way past the naked, wine-drinking Katherine and made it over to this "Fia" and Livia. "Hello, my name is Lunalel Lightshield. This should make you feel a little better. At the least the pain should go away a bit." Lunalel said in a gentle voice. This girl was younger, right? It was hard to tell at this academy at times. "Whatever dirt is there should come out of the wounds as well." Holding her towel up with one hand, she held the other out to Fia and focused, casting her healing spell on the girl. She seemed visably confident, but focused.

As Luna's healing magic worked, the more recent wounds gradually began to fade. However, repairing the full tissue with any amount of accuracy would take quite some time, but it felt better. Fia didn't know how to really express any gratitude, so she simply countinued to stare at the water, awkwardly.

Katherine kept her eyes on Luna healing the pheonix while her doll was messing with Lyssa still, though it was because Katherine found it funny more than punishment at this point. She looked over the scars on the girls back and wonder just what she went through to get all of those. Anyhow, she turned back to Lyssa to ask, "Have you learned your lesson yet, you little hellion?"

"Yes, this adorable little Hellion has learned her lesson...." Lyssa muttered, face still buried in the ground. "Please stop being mean to adorable things."

'However true it might be, calling yourself adorable is so narcissitic." Katherine mentioned with a slight snicker. "Fine, fine. The punishment will stop. Just be mindful of the others sharing the bath with you. There are a set of unspoken rules you should follow, but so long as you understand." The Doll-Master snapped her fingers and the doll climbed off the demon's head and hit the ground. It stood up and gave a couple of bows as if saying, "My apologies, it wasn't my idea but I had to."

The three that had assisted in delivering punishment to the girl gathered around her with some cleaning supplies to assist in cleaning her. "I'm feeling generous today, so these three will help you wash if you want." Katherine offered before sipping her wine again.

"I'm adorable. It's not narcissism if it's the truth, ehe~" Lyssa replied somewhat languidly as the dolls started washing her, but she gave no further reply.

Luna had done the extent of what she thought she could do for the moment. The lighter wounds and the pain should have disappeared. Though, she couldn't be sure other than asking the patient herself. "Does it feel better? It looks a little bit better."

The girl waited a moment to respond, before nodding slightly. Aside from that, there was only a slight verbal confirmation. "... Yes ..." In truth, the hot sting of the water had disappeared.

"I'm glad then." Luna said with a smile. "I'm hardly more than a novice at these healing arts myself, but if my meager skills are in anyway helpful then it's a good thing I have them." At about this time, Luna realized the girl in front of her was about as naked as she was and averted her eyes, cautiously making her way backward. "Regardless, you should have someone with better skill look at it later."

The girl nodded again in confirmation, looking towards Livia to see if she had anything to add. In reality, having all these people around was making the girl nervous. In her entire life, she had only ever had one-on-one interactions. Mentally, she sorted Luna with Livia on the reasonable list. The crimson haired girl debated Kathrine, and as she peered around Livia she once again saw the hellion, being granted assistance from the dolls.

Who was currently letting the dolls wash her entire body. It wasn't unusual for her to have a servant or two help with such things - though most of the time it was her mom. Lyssa continued to lay half out of the water at the edge of the pool. She had taken one of the dolls and had sit it in front of her, currently hugging it. Lyssa noticed Fia looking at her, and gave the redhead a large grin, letting the side of her face rest on the ground.

"Ehehe, sorry about that! I didn't mean to startle you earlier. But you didn't know what friends were and that was sad. Everyone should have a friend!~" Which meant...she should be this girls friend! She was definitely the bestest friend anyone could have! So. It was then decided she'd make this girl her best friend! "I'm Lyssa! So let's be friends then!~"

Livia simply watched the conversation idly, slightly hoping the redhead would take Lyssa's offer. The chances of that considering her current state was fairly low, but one could always hope for the better outcome. Even if she didn't, she had a plan involving both Luna, Lyssa, and Fia in regards to just exactly how this was going to go.

Fia had already decided that this Lyssa girl was a little crazy, although based on the way she was currently acting it was possible for the 'hellion' to calm down. Still though, the constant smile made the crimson haired girl more than a little uneasy, so the fourteen year old ducked behind the now more familiar Livia. With her prior master having just died, she had immediately sought attachment to another guiding post. This of course was Livia. Like her former master, Livia seemed to have a motivation and a direction with her, which somehow was comforting. The others didn't seem to have a motivation, so it left the girl guessing as to their true intentions, which is what she guessed 'friends' were.

Seeming to address Livia, the girl spoke in a soft tone. "... Friends ... seem ... scary ..." So many new things were occuring this day, that it was difficult for the fourteen year old to process. Exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally, the fourteen year old simply leaned forward and buried her face into her hands.

"W-waaaah? I'm not scary!" Lyssa let go of the doll she had been holding, and the two that had been washing her back grabbed onto the girls hair as she propped her hands up on the edge, hanging onto each other for dear life as they tried to avoid falling into water. "Promise! I'm adorable and sweet! And not just because I eat a lot of them!" She was pouting slightly as she looked over to Fia, only just realizing she had buried her face in her hands, causing the demon to pause slightly, realizing something was a bit amiss.

"Oh dear, I think you broke her." Livia chuckled lightly as she looked over at Lyssa. Hmm...how to go about this? Well, if she wanted Luna. "You'll have to be gentle with her, Lyssa dear. She's...well, not exactly had an easy life as you have." At this, Lyssa's brow furrowed, somewhat troubled, but before she could say anything Livia continued. "Which is why someone needs to look after little Fia here." She looked at both Luna and Lyssa, humming quietly to herself before deciding the first order of business.

"In one weeks time, this girl shall start attending the classes here as a student. I think that one week is sufficient enough time for her to adjust at least somewhat to her new life. That said, I am a busy woman and can not possibly look after her all hours of the day. So...if it would not be too much trouble to either of you, I would like both of you to do it." Lyssa, simply because she was an incredibly friendly person - and her disposition was something that Livia greatly liked in a person. As for Luna, well, she knew the Lightsword family well enough to know she would be a good rolemodel for the girl.

As for the girl they were speaking of, the crimson hair shifted slightly as it seemed Fia would respond, but instead she simply remained there. The red haired girl felt a little betrayed, but if she had any trust for Livia ... would that trust be applied to her retainers? The girl raised her head slightly, eyes drifting first looking to the headmistress, then the blonde healer, then to the hellion. After a few seconds of looking at Lyssa, she buried her head once more.

Luna looked up when the Headmistress mentioned her. The woman wanted her and Lyssa to look over this Fia girl? That wasn't completely out of the question, though it was a bit wierd. "It would not bother me to watch over her. It's a noble's duty to help those in need after all. She seems like a good girl, albeit a little shy so I don't think she'll be too difficult to keep a handle on." Luna was doing her best to ignore the fact that everyone was naked, and in front of her. She turned to look at Fia and asked a question with a minor smile. "Do you think we could get along?"

The Phoenix looked up towards Fia only as she was directly addressed, her only response being a slow nod. Of course, Luna had landed just beneath Livia on the sanity chart, but if Livia was going to watch her then Luna would be a preffered subsitute. She seemed ... kind ... at least. The red haired girl nodded slowly for a few seconds, before returning her eyes to the water.

"Then the matter is settled then." Luna said with a smile. "I have a fairly large bed, hardly someone anyone could imagine all to themselves, I think that will work for now." She took a look at the others in the bath with them. Of course, they were all still showing off their beautiful bodies. . . She quickly averted her gaze, just to be safe.

"Well, well. Now this is perfect." Katherine said with her drink emptied, handing it off to a doll nearby. "You two seem like you'll do fine together. Just remember that this girl is a bit of a bird-brain, so make sure you take her on a tour of the school and show her the day to day life." To which Luna merely nodded, not even bothering to look up at the teacher showing her body to the world of the bathhouse questioning silently questioning the comment about Fia being a "bird-brain".

She was going to get to look after someone? Well, that was certainly interesting. Lyssa had never done anything quite like that before, but she was certainly not going to say no. Fia looked like she could use a best friend, and she was fully qualified for anything relating to best friend business.

"Yeah, I can do that too!~" She replied enthusiastically. That said, it was clear that she had already done something to scare the timid girl, which was bad. So that was bad. She'd have to fix that...hrm...hugs could fix anything, right? But now didn't seem entirely appropriate. Hrm...She pulled herself up onto the edge of the bath, climbing out and walking over to the girl

"Ehe, sorry about earlier!~" She grinned, all smiles as usual as she crouched next to the edge of the pool. "Didn't mean to startle you that badly. Let's be friends, alright?". At this point the girl nodded, still looking into her hands. It was hard to tell if she was doing it because she agreed or because she simply wanted to stop getting bothered.

Livia simply let the greeting play out as it would, but more importantly...if she was going to possibly be hanging around Luna - to avoid any complications later it might be best to get Lyssa's identity out of the way.

"Well then, it's decided. After she's had a week to adjust you'll both look after her. I'll make the arrangements within that time." Livia said with a smile. "That said...Lyssa, to avoid further complications I think it might be best to formally introduce yourself to Luna here." Lyssa's head immediately turned to Livia, seeming somewhat nervous.

"U-uhm, you sure that's a good idea? My mom told me not too." She really had no problems revealing her identity to people, but she was hesitant only because she didn't want to get into trouble.

"Well your mom's not here and considering things, that might be a good idea." Livia replied. "So yes."

"Formally introduce?" Sure, Lyssa felt like she was too friendly to do anything formally, but Lunalel had a feel that's not what the headmistress meant. She turned her head to Lyssa and cocked it slightly, confused.

"Well okay then!~" Lyssa replied enthusiastically as she stood. She placed her hands on top of her head, a making a little squee noise as the spell that kept her looking mostly human was dispelled. It revealed to horns, curving forwards on her forehead, two small bat like wings extending from her back, flapping cutely as a black spade tipped tail starting swishing back and forth, mimicking what one might observe on a very excited dog. The process wasn't flashy, and tool only a handful of seconds to complete. When it was done, Lyssa placed her hands on her hips, grinning brightly before introducing herself. Meanwhile, the dolls were still holding on for dear life.

"Lyssa Nemorienne Sathanus, Adorable Demon Princess of Hell at your service!~"

Luna watched as Lyssa showed her horns off and introduced herself as . . . A Demon Princess. She looked between Lyssa and Livia a few times before focusing on Lyssa's horns. "So this is suppose to be a secret?" She didn't sound all too surprised about it either. "If so, you need to hide your horns better. They were wide open yesterday." Demons were unpredictable at best. That's what she's heard at least, and Lyssa didn't seem like a bad person. Just a little low on the side of sanity.

At this introduction, Fia slowly turned around her head and noticed that there was additional prescence behind her. Although Lyssa was a reasonable distance away, the red haired girl simply removed herself from the in-bath ledge and walked out towards the middle of the pool. The water submerged the girl up to her chin, and she had to stop herself from going further out. The phoenix simply didn't like having that many people near her, and maintained a secure ten foot distance from the others.

Despite having been locked in a tower her entire life, the Phoenix understood what a 'demon' and 'princess' were. So did that make Lyssa a bastion of royal insanity? At least that made sense. The horns and wings looked interesting, at least.

At Luna's words, Lyssa gave a sheepish chuckle, rubbing the back of her neck as she remembered her blunder.

"Eheh, I've never been good with that." She replied to Luna. "I don't wanna hide my adorableness from people but my mom insists." She got back into the bathwater, sitting close to Luna and giving her a grin. "Says something about some humans not liking us demons, but that's silly! How can you not like this?" Lyssa leaned in close to Luna, her chest just barely touching Luna as she puffed out her chest, emphasizing she was speaking about herself.

Luna inched away slightly, putting a little distance between her and the demon. Physical contact in this sort of setting was. . . Weird. Even as little as it really was. "If all were as touchy as you at times, I can see why some would dislike demons." As things considered, Luna couldn't imagine a lot of people enjoying a random person running and headbutting them as Lyssa did to Lukas the day before.

"Hey hey, running from someone as adorable as me is kinda making me sad." For every inch Luna scooted away, Lyssa just scooted closer, not letting the knight get away so easily. However, if she was gonna scoot away, then well, she'd just have to block her escape! Lyssa quickly moved to the other side of Luna, giving her an impish smile as if she just hadn't done anything wrong. Meanwhile, Livia was watching the two with a cat like grin, obviously planning something. She took a look over to Fia, deciding that she could handle herself for now. She wasn't likely to run off for now, which gave her ample time to...play with Luna.

Heh~

Livia moved quietly, scooting closer to Luna as the demon was now on the other side of her.

"Now now, don't be so reserved Luna. This is a bath after all and I haven't see you wash yet." She said, giving her a friendly smile. "You should let someone help with that~"

"I-I can wash myself. Your assistance is u-unnecessary Headmistress." Luna managed to spout. This was a sticky situation. Really, she wasn't all too sure what to do being surrounded by the beautiful headmistress on one side and the cute Demon Princess on the other. Her eyes didn't know where they could look at the moment between the two of them.

All the while, Katherine finally decided to let out a huge sigh of relief as she lowered herself into the water. Her dolls stood behind her, practically gawking at what Lyssa and the Headmistress were doing to Luna. "You might as well give it up, blondie. This Headmistress doesn't back down when she wants to do something. It'll be easier to just give up." The teacher obviously had a great deal of experience in the subject matter.

"Well, to get anything done with idiot nobles you have to be just a bit stubborn~" Livia replied with a soft chuckle. She was already on the other side of Luna now, sitting quite close. Lyssa was on the other side, giving Luna very little room to run, who was poking her head around Luna to get a good look at the headmistress. "Want to help, Lyssa?"

"Weeeeel, I haven't washed either," Lyssa replied with an impish smile, obviously catching exactly what Livia was up to. "Buuuut, hey hey, Luna can wash me after this, yep!~" Lyssa then proceeded to grab Luna, the Knights arm ending up being sandwiched between her breasts in the process.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea~!" Livia said with a smile, taking the wash cloth. "Come on now, Luna, don't worry you won't be getting the same treatment as Katherine. I'll be very gentle~"

"W-wait! I said I could do it myself!?" Somehow, it came out as partly a question. Then she turned her head to Lyssa, "Just why is that the best place for my arm?" Internally, she wouldn't lie to herself. She enjoyed the soft-skin attention, but at the same it just didn't feel right.

Still, maybe she should take Miss Lindall's advice and give up. Between the close friendliness of Lyssa and the overpowering aura the Headmistress gave off, what exactly did she expect herself to do. With little other option, a blush crossed her face as she said, "How embarrasing. . ."

Fia looked up periodically, watching the choas as it unfolded and backing further into the water slowly. If she could make it to the other side, she would probably be safe from the insanity.

With a smile, Livia moved behind Luna and set about washing her back first. The headmistress didn't seem to have any intention of doing anything else just yet, likely much to Luna's relief. Lyssa, however, stayed firmly attached to the knights arm to prevent her from fleeing so easily...and to well, continue to bother her.

"Well...its nice and warm and cute, obviously!~" Lyssa replied with a giggle, before giving a sigh of sudden realization. "...you think they're too small, don't ya?" She said rather accusingly. This earned a quiet chuckle from Livia, but she said nothing for now.

Really, Luna wasn't all too sure why she attracted the attention of these two. It felt good as Livia washed her back, though it was a little embarrassing that Livia was having a good look at the minor scars on her back. Still, she needed to reply to Lyssa, "That's not what I said?" Was she talking about her chest? Size didn't really matter much did it? Luna wasn't all that much bigger, really. No, no, no. Neither of them were a match for the monster that was currently washing Luna's back. With the thought though, her blush reddened up more.

Katherine meanwhile, turned to face her dolls and played with one by poking it's cheek a bit. It reacted like a child fidgeting to it playfully fighting back. She cared little for what was going on over at the side. She was just glad it wasn't her being tormented by Livia for once. She needed a breather every once in a while after all.

Lyssa looked up at Luna, pouting and looking upset. It lasted only a few seconds though before Livia cut in.

"Oh my, maybe she does like bigger ones?~" Livia cut in...and Luna would suddenly feel for a few brief moments Livia's chest on her back before she continued. "Or maybe Luna looks like someone who would like these more?" One of Livia's legs would hang in the side of Luna's vision as she removed herself from behind her, taking a seat next to Luna in the water.

"T-that's not faaaair~!" Lyssa replied, pouting still. She got up just a little out of the water, releasing Luna's arm and...wrapping her arms around Luna's head, nuzzling the top of it. "B-but Luna likes me more, yep! Cute and adorable always beats sexy!" Her chest was now against Luna's neck.

Luna was about to reply to Lyssa's statement when she felt softness on her back. She felt the pressure in her head release, as Livia did. It was as if all the steam rushed out of her head. Then, Lyssa wrapped arms around Luna's head, the girl's chest on her neck. "What are you doing Lyssa?!" Well, whatever Lyssa was doing threw Luna's balanced off and the two fell toward Livia. She fell face-first into Livia's softness, Luna's second encounter in the day. Her mind was processing too much and her body practically stiffened like a board, hardly moving from the spot.

Well, that was not something Livia had expected, but she silently thanked Lyssa for being...Lyssa. The demon had fallen on top of Luna, who was now on top of Livia and well...placed conveniently placed right between the headmistress' chest. Lyssa had decided hanging on for dear life as they fell meant grabbing Luna's head tightly, and ending up grabbing Livia's shoulder. Livia, had fallen slightly to the side as well, but had for the most part managed to keep her balance and not fall over too much.

"Oh my~" Livia chuckled. "See, I told you she liked them."

"T-that's not faaair~" Lyssa whined once again, letting go of Livia's shoulder.Instead, the demon grabbed Luna's arm, and pulled her off of Livia...and right into her chest.

"She prefers cute! I knows it! I gave her a kiss earlier today and her face was all a cute shade of red!" She declared, seemingly proud of her accomplishment. Livia simply chuckled, and let the demon have her way with Luna at the moment, righting herself and sitting up once again. She grabbed Luna's other arm, giving a smile at the demon.

"Now now, I think its quite clear mine is much more comfortable to rest on. Katherine can vouch for that, can't you dear?~" Without waiting for a reply from the teacher though, she pulled Luna back towards her. This process seemed to go back and forth for a few moments, with both Livia and Lyssa pulling Luna between them.

Luna was just being tugged back and forth like a rope. It went from a heavenly situation to a hellish one. She's been through struggles before, sure. But nothing of this level. Really, she's never been around two females fighting over her like this, even in jest. Her arms were just sore now.

Eventually, the tugging stopped...with Luna resting her head right between Livia's ample mounds on her left side, and Lyssa's dominating the right side of her head. Livia was currently looking down at Lyssa, giving the demon a confident smirk. Lyssa, was looking up at Livia, arms resting on her hips as she gave an angry glare up at the headmistress.

"Really, Lyssa, you can't win with little things like those." Livia chided mischievously.

"G-gah! T-that's not true! Flat is justice! Flat is love!" Granted, she wasn't 'flat' by any means, but she definitely wasn't large. She doubted anyone could beat the headmistress, though. Lyssa had to admit, she had her beat in that department. At some point, this stopped being about what they could do to bother Luna, and a contest of wills between the older woman and the student.

Luna's mind was only able to take too much before it decided it needed to take a new course of action. Effectively, her normal personality was set aside and it was like a new person took the reins. "Now, lovely misses, there's no need to fight like this." Luna said as she raised her head out of Livia's softness.

An arm slipped around Livia's waist and another around Lyssa's. "You're both quite beautiful, and there's no reason to argue. Everything is a charm point on a woman, and I find the very thing you two argue about very charming on you both." The Knightess pulled the two closer in towards her and continued. "Wouldn't it be better if we all play nice and compliment each other? Wouldn't you two rather play nice?"

At her change in demeanor, Livia blinked once. She was slightly taken by surprise by the sudden change...but well, she wasn't going to complain. She let herself have an arm wrapped around her, not complaining. Instead, she wore an amused smile.

"Oh my, someone's suddenly taking the initiative. I do so love...assertive people." She said with a playful laugh. The headmistress leaned in close once again, giving a smirk to Lyssa. "I suppose you do have a point though. While I was just teasing Lyssa...I think both of us would rather make love, not war, hmm?~"

Lyssa behaved much the same, having let Luna wrap and arm around her waist. She giggled lightly.

"Weeelll, I do love playing...and it'd be fun to play with the both of you!~" Lyssa wrapped her arms around Luna's shoulder, resting her head against hers. "Ehe, you'd make for a comfortable pillow."

"Well, maybe after...soon to be had activities you might get the chance to use her as one." Livia laughed quietly. If someone didn't step in soon, this was likely about to turn into some very rule-breaking activities.

What happened while Katherine was entertaining her dolls. It seemed like Livia was hitting on students again. Or maybe it was the other-way around. Regardless, what Livia was suggesting definitely was in direct violation of Katherine's personal bathhouse etiquette. Well, that and she should probably stop Livia from playing with students again. She snapped her fingers and her dolls made their way over to Livia and Luna as there was the one still hanging around with Lyssa. "Those who sully the purity of the bathhouse deserve punishment, whether they run the academy or not."

The dolls behind Livia and Luna threw two towards their heads and they, along with the one on Lyssa's head, delivered blows of justice onto the three perpetrators. Luna was definitely not expecting it and took it with hardly any resistance. "Ouch!" She cried out. "What happened!?" She asked as she looked around her and noticed her arms on the waists of her companions with Lyssa resting her head on her shoulder. Livia. . . Well, really close. "Why are you two so close?"

Livia had been expecting something from Katherine, but to openly assault her with her dolls? The audacity. Not that it hadn't happened before - oh, definitely not. Katherine often had her dolls hinder her progress when flirting with the students. Her head was leaned back, whining slightly as she spoke.

"Aww...Katherrrrine." She whined. "You better hope you can entertain me instead if you're gonna go around and be the fun police." She didn't answer Luna just now, she was too busy lamenting the loss of her fun time.

Lyssa, was resting her head on Luna's shoulder, not moving. She was either very dazed or had been KO'ed completely by a second bump to the noggin that day.

"I'll be the fun police so long as you all are without manners in the bathhouse." If nothing else she was adament on the bathhouse. "Oh, and no entertainment for you, if you decide to hit on students like that~." She felt like she needed to tease the headmistress a little.

"Katherrrine." She whined again. "You're taking away all the fun in my life at this rate~" At this point it was probably clear Livia was just playing along with the teacher for whatever reason....at least, until her mouth turned upwards in a smirk and she looked at Katherine from where she sat. That said, she had fooled around here long enough. She could only play around so much before she had to get back to her duties.

"Ahh...but you make a valid point." She said with a sigh. "I really should get back to work...that said," She turned her head towards Luna, giving her a smile as she leaned in close and spoke in a low voice. "I'm serious, though...stop by my office when the fun police isn't around and I'll treat you to a very nice dinner." With that though, she unwrapped herself from around Luna.

Now...what was Fia doing?

The crimson haired girl had retreated behind one of the pillars on the opposite side with an expression akin to horror. Fia had considered looking for an escape route, but there only appeared to be one exit to the room, and there were dolls in that direction. So she was stuck with simply putting as much distance between herself and the others as possible.

Watching the girls struggle, she had come to a reasonable conclusion: they were all utterly crazy. Livia, who she had considered sane, just put herself FAR too close to others. Luna wasn't doing any better. Fia seemed to have no interest in that lifestyle. At least Lyssa was honest about herself up front.

Livia would approve of Fia's new level of cleanliness though. She had swam across the water while they argued, trying to stay out of their line of sight. As a result, the girl with a bit more scrubbing could be considered acceptably clean.

Luna was a little bit worried by the Headmistress's words but figured to avoid that issue, she'd never go to the Headmistress's office when Miss Lindall wasn't around. Lyssa was still knocked out on her shoulder so she carefully lowered onto her lap, at least she wasn't too bad when she was unconcious.. "What just happened? I don't really remember anything." Luna asked around, seeing if she could get an answer.

"Well, little Fia you look good and clean...well, mostly." Livia said with a small chuckle, noticing the girl on the other side of the pool. She was probably just a tiny bit confused at what had just happened, but that was fine. She should learn that things like this aren't something someone should be afraid of. It'd be hard but with a little work, it was likely certainly possible.

"I will be taking Fia and leaving now, Katherine. You may stay if you wish, but I will be taking Fia home and get her something nice to sleep in." With a smile, and a last look over to Luna to give her a small wave bye, the headmistress quietly walked over to Fia."Shall we be off now, Fia? It is rather late, and I am pretty sure you're tired."

It didn't seem like Lyssa was going to be moving anytime soon - in fact, she seemed like she was fast asleep, using Luna's lap as a comfortable pillow.

It seemed that for a moment, the Phoenix contemplated not going with the headmistress. Her eyes darted around the room, as if looking for a way to escape or another option. But as the headmistress quickly went around the pool, the crimson haired girl realized she had no alternatives and lowered her head, then nodded obediently. Fia didn't have another option, and it seemed that Livia, the headmistress, had reentered the realm of sanity. She would follow the headmistress out of the room, maintaining a comfortable seven-foot distance again now that the scrubbing was over. Of course, she was nervous about going to this new place, but at this point the girl simply entrusted herself to whatever fate the headmistress had for her. The two left.

Katherine sighed a little bit as one of the violators of Bath Rules started to leave. It wouldn't be a problem now, but, well, she probably needed to get back to her place to go to sleep. It would be nice to get a good night's sleep. "I suppose I shall leave too. I have an actual class to teach tomorrow." She looked at the two students still in the bath. "I suggest not staying here too long. I can't be held accountable if Livia catches you by yourself." The Puppeteer mentioned teasingly as she got up and took her small platoon of dolls with her as she left.

Luna sat there with Lyssa laying on her lap. "I shall take your advice to heart, Miss Lindall." She just hoped that Lyssa would wake up soon so she could take herself to her room. And then maybe explained what happened. On the other hand, it didn't seem like the Demon Princess was going to wake up any time soon. It was a bit weird though, seeing a demon like this in person. Physically, they were not all too different looking from humans. They just had horns and a tail. At least, judging by Lyssa.

It seemed weird to have horns on one's forehead. Luna was curious to see if they were real so she touched them. If nothing else, they were definitely real. Then her tail were real too. Thinking on it, most animals didn't like having their tail touched. Did that mean demons didn't either? If so, maybe that were an easy way to wake her up. There was no reason not to try. She touched the girl's tail gently and then grabbed it and tugged it a little bit, hopefully that would be enough.

At first, Lyssa didn't seem to want to wake. When Luna started touching her tail and horns though, the demons face turned from one of idle sleep into a smile. She was making soft giggling noises in her sleep, until Luna touched her tail and gave it a soft tug. Lyssa woke with a start, jumping awake as she was now laying completely across Luna's legs.

"W-wah?! L-Luna?!" She squealed somewhat loudly, turning her head around to look at the knight. "I-I mean your cute and all but d-don't be so forward! I...I need to at least prepare myself!"

Luna cocked her head a little bit. She expected the surprise, but not so much the part that came after that. "Prepare yourself? I was testing to see if it would wake you up from. . . Whatever it was that made you fall into unconsciousness.” The Knightess said with little idea. ”What would you need to prepare for?”

"Oh, hehe? You were just trying to wake me up?" Lyssa giggled, rolling over off of Luna and into the water. "And I was preparing myself for fun, obviously~" She teased, though she didn't elaborate and didn't seem very keen on actually answering Lunas question. "Anyways, you wanna stay here for a bit? I'm not tired and now we have the whooole place to ourselves~"

"I think I shall take my leave. I'm washed up now, and I need to make sure I have enough sleep for tomorrow morning." Luna decided as she stood up and made sure she was covered up. Perhaps she'll figure out what happened later. "If you want to leave with me, that is fine. Otherwise, I shall see you tomorrow I suppose?"

"Awww, alright, you're still no fun!" Lyssa replied with a grin. "I'ma stay here for a bit and relax some. See ya tomorrow!~" With that, the girl giggled brightly...and fell backwards, hitting the bath and splashing water everywhere.

St. Sappho Academy, Medieval Magic Academy (Invite Only)

@Pyromania99 To be fair, there is quite a bit of historical debate about that. For example, social kissing was very common in the middle ages (at least in England, just read Arthurian legends). Those prudish ideals usually arose from the Victorian era. Not saying people had as much intercourse as today, but ... XD

St. Sappho Academy, Medieval Magic Academy (Invite Only)

@Pyromania99 I guess that's true. Just most people usually have that earlier XD

I got my first girlfriend at 16. I might be a whore. 0.o

St. Sappho Academy, Medieval Magic Academy (Invite Only)

Introductions

Livia was waiting patiently for the two of her more...ambitious staff members to return. It was already late in the evening, and classes had been over with. She sipped quietly on her tea as she did so. Hopefully things would go well, and this Phoenix would be dealt with in a swift manner. She was confident her pupils could handle it. Especially Katherine. She had personally taught the girl after all, so if she of all people couldn't beat it...well.

Then she had a problem.

Her internal musings were cut short by the return of her two staff members. They looked alright for the most part. That must have meant things went well...if not for the third party with them. That girl hardly looked like the phoenix of legend. Livia narrowed her eyes at both of them, placing the teacup on her desk.

"Do explain."

"Hello to you too, Livia." Katherine said as she carried the girl in her arms. "Well, if I must start from the beginning, we made it into the tower, went to the top and found a man beating and about to. . . Ravish. . . This poor girl. Not exactly the good kind either." All the while, Katherine set the girl down in a chair and continued her hardly abridged version.

"I took to. . . Restraining the man whilst Aetheria checked on this girl. I urged him to answer a few questions and he did. He said she was his familiar, the Legendary Bird of Fat Burning and Alcohol Combusting! Or Pheonix as most would probably call it." Katherine felt power re-enter her rings, likely her dolls that stayed behind returning. "That said, I decided he should be sentenced to death. For what he did and to more easily negated the familiar pact. I hope I did well."



"I happened to find these while I was there." Aetheria clicked two of the three vials of tears she found before setting them down on Livia's desk. The white mage approached the red haired girl afterwords, clasping her hands together for a second and placing one on the crimson hair. After a second of her hand glowing, the bruises healed somewhat. "It was ... surprisingly easy. I'm sure Kathrine can explain everything else you need to know." The blond haired woman took a few steps back towards the door.

In truth, she was very excited to be able to study a pancea. While her magic could heal many wounds ... it wasn't all powerful, and she knew it.

As for the red head, she countinued to breathe softly, eyes twitching slightly as she saw whatever dream she was seeing.

That...girl was the phoenix? It wasn't unexpected for her not to be in the same incarnation she knew of. But this young? She must have recently been reincarnated...she would perhaps need to see how long between reincarnations. Not important for now. The girl looked absolutely worn out, terrified, and...well, in a not so good condition.

Livia inspected the vials placed on her desk. Phoenix tears. Exploiting them most likely...well, she couldn't really condemn such an act. She'd have likely done something similar had the phoenix been the same as she had been told about. This entire turn of events was...troublesome, at the least.

"You have done well, my precious little student. I shall be sure to reward you well for your excellent work." She smiled, a fairly suggestive smile towards Katherine before turning to the vials, picking one up in her hand. "More importantly...I assume these are tears from the phoenix? This...certainly complicates things a bit....but it could also be a boon." She walked over to the chair the child had been placed in. It'd be a comfortable enough place for her to rest for now. She liked to think her arm chairs were fairly comfortable. The girl looked fine enough, so nothing to worry about for the moment.

Instead, she looked over to Aetheria.

"Aetheria, I do hope you're not going to be hiding anything from me?" She shot a look over to the white mage. She couldn't be sure of course, but she was awfully eager to get out of there.

The white mage revealed a final remaining vial from her robes. "As the medical professional here, I figured you wouldn't mind me studying one of these." She started turning around and looked over her shoulder. "I didn't want to disturb you two any more than I needed to. You seem to enjoy eachother's company more without specators." While perhaps Aetheria might not have revealed anything later if Livia hadn't asked, the second statement was true. There were very strong rumors about the Headmistress and her former student, and the white mage intended on avoiding the two of them together.

"Do as you will." She replied to Aetheria, dismissing her. "I would very much like to know the results of your research at some point." Of course, that basically translated to: You will tell me, or I will fire you. Aetheria should have easily picked up on that, however, and she felt no need to keep her here if she was intent on leaving. The white mage gave a quick bow and left the room quietly.

Besides, the girl required more attention from her at the moment.

"I will admit, this is not what I was expecting." She said to Katherine.

The Puppeteer shrugged. "Yea, me either. I was expecting a fight, not a slaughter. No regrets, though I have a feeling I'm going to have to wipe down the dolls of blood and find someone to magically removed the blood from their outfits." There was no easy way to wash clothes unless you had the magic to do so. Livia simply gave Katherine a unimpressed look. That's not what she had meant at all, but ah well.

"That being said, who should we have take care of her for now? Well, after we make sure she heals up a bit." Katherine asked, more than willing to lend a few dozen hands to assist. "I mean, I wouldn't mind taking care of her for a bit. Well, if she isn't afraid of dolls."

A difficult question. The fact the phoenix was just a little girl changed her plans completely. She had expected fiery tyrant, not slave girl. This was just too much out of the realm of possibility that she had prepared herself for, for one of the few times in her life.

"I do not think your dolls would make a good initial impression on the girl, unfortunately." How could they go about this, then? Causing the girl any more stress was out of the question. She certainly had experience in teaching and taking care of students...but she wasn't entirely sure she was cut out for actually taking care of a child herself.

"I suppose we'll have to see once she wakes." Livia finally replied after a few moments of thought. "I believe I am rather qualified for looking after one. I do it every day, after all. Though, help from you and your dolls would likely be much appreciated."

Picking up on their cue, the crimson haired girl's eyes fluttered open. For the first few seconds of that she looked around, the young teenager noticed the two women. A tall one sitting in a chair donned in a purple dress, and the other a shorter robed woman with stunning hair and a robe on each finger. For these few seconds, a look of confusion ran across her face as it was obvious she was trying to register where she was.

Then unadulterated terror filled her eyes as she looked down. Looking at the other two women, a moment of realization ran across her face. Amber eyes looked towards the door, accidently left slightly open from when Aetheria had left.

Without saying anything the girl in the torn shirt suddenly bolted for the exit, straight past the two women. The crimson hair billowed as she moved with surprising speed, as if she was trying to run for her life.

As the Pheonix-girl started to run, Katherine sighed slightly. She really should have expected this. She snapped her fingers and two dolls practically came out of the woodwork and gently closed the door. "I'm sorry, doll-face. You should calm down a little before leaving this room. Not that you'll probably believe me, but we're not going to hurt you or anything of the sort." Personally, Katherine wanted to say something about wanting to pamper this girl, but all things considered, that might be taking it a little far for right now. "Plus, you don't have to worry about that old master of yours any more."

The red haired girl didn't notice the door closing slowly, and ran straight into it shoulder first. Of course, the frail girl lost the contest of strength and ended up bouncing off of it, collapsing onto the ground.

Looking up at the speaking woman, the crimson haired girl heard the comforting words of reassurance. For a second or two, the girl seemed to calm down. Then the redhead was reminded by ring-fingers about the death of her former master: long, brutal, and painful. Not understanding the entire situation, the terrified girl came to the conclusion that the person in front of her was simply trying to catch her and was EXACT sort of person who would torture another.

The girl ran to a corner of the room, and seeing a bookshelf grabbed a volume off the shelf, A Thousand And One Ways to Defend Yourself and seemed to be prepared to wield it as a weapon. Amber eyes flickered between the two older women.

Livia sighed. Understandable that the girl was acting this way, but at least Katherine managed to keep the door shut. This was a problem, though. The girl was obviously terrified of the both of them, judging from the rather adorable way she was attempting to hold that book to defend herself. Likely the girl was a bit afraid of Katherine. If she had saw her...dispose of the previous master in that fashion then there was a good chance that she was more than a little put off by Katherine.

Livia slowly stood up from her seat. One had to be gentle with someone in this situation. She couldn't force anything, she had to make sure she the phoenix understood that they were not there to harm her. "Let me handle this, hm?" She softly said as she passed Katherine, walking over to the redhead. She knelt down, getting on a knee as she offered a small smile to the redhead. One had to be gentle sometimes with someone, to achieve a desired result.

"Hello," She softly said. "You can ignore that mean one over there. She's a scary one, isn't she? I apologize if she startled you. She won't harm you as long as I am here, though little one." Livia was quiet for a moment, and let the girl process the words. "Do you have a name? I am Livia Fiore."

The crimson haired girl pressed herself more firmly into the corner as the tallest womam approached, lifting the book up in an initial attempt to defend herself, watching as the woman stopped a distance just short of comfortable and took a knee, introducing herself with a calm voice.

Despite her fears, the young teenager felt her emotions even out as the woman spoke softly. The tightly clenched book in the girl's trembling hands lowered down to her hips, the tome pointing downwards at the ground as if it had been sheathed.

The woman named Livia's question surprised the girl though, and the youngest one's eyes drifted slightly to the left as the seemed to be attempting to gather her thoughts. After a few moments, the girl finally answered with her master's favorite term for her, in a voice barely above a whisper. "... worthless ..." The amber eyes closed for a second as she remembered several unpleasant moments where that named had been involved, then she shook her head. The book fell to the floor out of her hands, as if it was too difficult for her to focus on holding it and the painful memories at the same time.

Livia's smile wavered. She could barely hear it, but she could at least tell that it wasn't a name one would want to be called.

She was no saint herself, she'd even admit as such. She'd done some pretty terrible things in her life, but labeling someone as worthless? Such people were entire reasons she did the things she did. That scum had better been thankful it was Katherine that ended him. She wouldn't have let him rest so easily. She brushed the thought away though. Now wasn't the time to think of such things.

"That's not a name," She continued to smile. "That, my dear little red is what someone calls something like those who abuse others for their own pleasure." She didn't entire know if the child would understand that statement, but it didn't matter. "Surely someone with such beautiful red hair as yours has an equally beautiful name?"

The red head blinked for a few seconds at the compliment, not sure what to make of it. The girl seemed to be confused with the entire thing overall, but she shook her head again after a few seconds. Based on the woman's surprise, was she supposed to have one?

It was strange now that she thought about it. In her dreams, she had been called many things, 'Irasacha', 'Iravis', 'Zaliki', but those things seemed strangely distant to her, and didn't seem to apply. The woman's compliments and smile reassured the young girl, who started leaning against the wall rather than pressing into it, the thoughts clearly distracting her.

Katherine tried to ignore that fact that this girl had been so defensive earlier against her. To be fair, being comforting was hardly her strong suit. Even when she didn't intend to, she came off as a bit harsh and obnoxious though definitely to no fault of her own. Now they were talking about the girl's name? She seemed to not have one. . . Well, despite something more akin to mental backwash.

"Back in England there is a lightly used name of Irish descent, 'Flannery'. Could be fitting if she has nothing else. 'Flannery Fireborn' or something of the like?" The last name was a bit of a joke, but Katherine thought it was fitting nonetheless. A good old sort of English name from a good old sort of English woman.

Flannery? Really? Well it wasn't exactly a bad name, but that wasn't entirely a name Livia felt fit the girl. Especially that last part. 'Fire Born'. Well, it was increidbly descriptive she supposed but that was about as much naming merit she was going to give it. Really, if Katherine ever had a child as unlikely as that may be, she feared for the child sometimes.

"Perhaps simply, 'Fia' will work better, Katherine." Livia replied after a few moments. Short for Fiammetta, but the entire name felt a bit crass and overbearing. "It's a name from a country to the south, Italy. Quite a pleasant place, really. I've been there on many occasion." The name meant 'Flickering Flame', and it was quite fitting considering everything.

The red haired girl looked between the two of them, listening to their suggestions for naming .. her? The girl seemed to stunned than anything else. The scary woman suggested the name 'Flannery Fireborn' ... but the girl didn't feel like being named by a tourterer ... and it simply didn't roll off the tounge. However ... 'Fia'? It was a bit simple ... but it was from the kneeling woman who had a smile as she spoke.

Perhaps she could add to it later. Looking to the kneeling woman she nodded her assent. "... Fia ..." The one named Fia's look of fear had finally cleared away, seeming to be replaced largely by curiousity as a very important question popped into her head. "... so ... what ...?" The girl still had very little idea what was going on, and the two hadn't exactly said what they wanted from her, or why they were giving her a name.

Katherine looked a little downtrodden. Just a little though. "But Flannery's a nice name too." Katherine really had nothing else to say at that though. Not like it was her choice. She just had to go along with it.

"Well now, my little Fia, you are safe." She replied, ignoring Katherine's small annoyance. "I am certain you are tired, and I think after everything that has happened you could use a bit of time to yourself." She didn't have any guest rooms prepared at the moment, and letting her stay in the dorms was a bad idea so soon. The only options would be to let her come home with her, if she wasn't adverse to it...though she supposed she could always rest on the couch. It was comfortable enough...

"We can discuss more details later, after you've had time to rest."

The teenager listened to Livia, and nodded slightly. Truthfully she was tired. The girl felt exhausted from just about everything, and despite Aetheria's healing magic there was only so much the white mage could do. A low rumble from her stomach made her other desires obvious.

But something bothered the girl more than anything else. Fia had lived an entire life as a reasource ... and she couldn't where this woman gained. The two had claimed they wouldn't hurt her - but that was how her master had let her 'pay her keep'. The crimson hair girl knew her tears were valued, but she didn't know why. Again, her voice spoke as to be barely audible to the others. "... what's ... your cut ...?"

The concept of charity didn't really exist for her, and she didn't understand why they had come to make her safe if they didn't get anything for themselves.

"My, quite the perceptive little one, aren't you?" She replied, a bit surprised that the girl had asked such a thing. "I will admit, I am not doing this for free. An acquaintence of mine asked shortly before she...went into a long slumber asked for me to find you. Paid me quite well as per our usual agreement." Not a lie, truthfully. She had been asked to find the phoenix before that old dragon went and slept, to try and preserve as much of her life as she possibly could.

"So you do not have to worry, little Fia. I promise you are safe as long as you remain on this campus, and that I want nothing from you. Not your tears or anything else that you have."

Perhaps that was a bit of a rash promise to make in this scenario. She couldn't very well completely insure the girls saftey. She was still conflicted about how she felt about the girl in general herself. Plus, if Sorcha ever found out...well. That could end badly.

The recently named Fia nodded her head nervously, understanding the situation a bit better now. Although she was still a little curious about the circumstances, the red head decided against pushing her luck. Livia just promised that she wouldn't be harvested - which meant that issue had been taken care of.

Fia took a nervous step towards Livia, then took a half step back as if the taller woman was a little scary. Another slide forward, another nudge backwards. She repeated this a few times, and when the redhead was seven feet away she stopped her advance, eyes looking towards the carpet and shifting back and fourth as she awaited her new fate.

The crimson haired girl felt hungry because she hadn't been fed by her master for the day, thirsty because she'd been harvested earlier, and tired because of the overload in change. For now, Fia concluded that she could at least trust the kneeling one.

Livia smiled. Well, that thankfully placated the girl, and judging from that growl from a few moments ago she was hungry. Well, this might be a good moment for the girl to learn to trust Katherine, at least a little. Livia stood slowly as to try and not startle the girl.

"Well, now that that's over with...you may take a seat if you want. The couch is quite comfortable, made of the finest material a woman of my standing can get her hands on." She laughed softly, indicating the coffee table with two couches sitting on either side of it.

"Katherine, be a dear and have your dolls bring everyone some food if you can."

"Very well." Katherine said, seeming much less sullen than before. She seemed to stare off into nothing for a few seconds as she mentally contacted some of her dolls closer to some of the kitchens than she was. Her abilities have greatly increased since her time as a teenager shown by the number of dolls she could stay connected to at once.

"Well, I have water on the way as well, but did you want any food in particular? Or should I just have my darlings make something up and bring it?" Surprisingly, Katherine enjoyed cooking and made sure each and every one of her dolls could do so. The food tended to be simple, but it tasted pretty well overall.

"Something simple will do. No need to make an entire extravagant meal at this hour." Livia replied to Katherine as she took a seat on one of the couches herself. "I will settle for some tea myself, I am not particularly hungry at the moment." Truth be told, she was rather tired herself and would like to retire to a luxurious bubble bath soon. "Is there anything you want, Fia? The kitchens here can make almost anything you could possibly want."

The girl looked back and forth between the two of them for a few moments, taking Livia's advice and lowering herself into the couch opposing the older woman with as much distance between them as possible. But food? Wasn't there only two options? In her dreams she had experienced other things, but her master had told her those dreams were lies to decieve her. But the way the two women spoke implied far more options existed.

The red haired girl knew of gruel and water, and sometimes stale bread on days her master was feeling generous, but that was the extent of her personal experience. The crimson haired girl decided to go with what she recieved as an award. "... Bread ... and Water ..."

Well that simply wouldn't do. Bread and water? No no. She wouldn't be getting fine dining, but Livia would not let her have something so meager. She doubted she had to tell Katherine this, but she would say it anyways.

"Katherine, make the girl something special would you? I do not care what it is, but I think she needs a good meal for once."

"Hmm, I think I can do that." Katherine said as she plotted the meal plan. As far as something special went, the Puppeteer figured she'd mix meat and bread as the girl asked along with a mix of other random ingredients that sounded good at the time. The mysterious kitchen process of mixed ways produced what the puppeteer desired with the help of her dolls until they made two versions of the meal along with the tea Livia requested. "I think I have some nice meals on the way."

Almost immediately after saying that, two dolls entered with a pitcher of water and two glasses. The glass carrier took a glass to Fia and one to Katherine. The Puppeteer accepted with a smile and let the pitcher-carrier to pour her glass full. It then went over to the Pheonix and silently offered to pour her glass.

The girl between the two as they suggested that her idea was too frugal ... and nodded a few times, but didn't say anything. Sooner than she expected, a small puppet entered the room and delivered the second of her requests. The abused girl stretched out a nervous hand, accepting the water and drinking the entire thing in a matter of seconds with very little civility. The crimson haired girl placed the glass back into the hands of the doll-servant, hoping they would give her more.

If the dolls could smile, they would have. But alas, they were just dolls with a static face. If body language were any indication, they was all too happy to do so and poured the water and returned the glass back to the girl. Katherine found the exchange cute if nothing else.

The girl accepted the glass of water again, downing it as well. She returned the now twice used glass to the doll, leaning back into the couch and closing her eyes after examining the room one more time. It wouldn't be too bad to wait until the food arrived ...

A bit of time passed as Katherine sat in a chair herself and Livia in hers as the Pheonix lay dormant on the couch. Katherine was glad it was peaceful as opposed to the rough treatment she recieved. "Well, we'll wake her up in a bit I guess. She looks peaceful at least."

"Indeed." Livia replied with a smile towards Katherine. "Its a good thing...poor dear is exhausted. Perhaps...while we wait though, you could entertain me, Katherine dear? All the paperwork today was particularly tiring."

"As fun as that sounds, I say we save it for later. We don't want screams to be misconstrued as something else." Katherine mentioned, being cautious to not set the girl off again. "Besides, the food should be here soon." At about those words, the doors opened showing a number of dolls carrying the two meals and the tea for Livia. The doll that had given out water glasses tugged on Fia to wake her up as an order from Katherine.

"Tsk...you're no fun." Livia replied with a chuckle, taking her tea from one of the dolls. "I suppose I'll just have to drink this tea and come up with some imaginative things that I can do with you later." To which Katherine smirked in reply.

The red haired girl's eyes fluttered open after the two finished talking, sparing her from the inappropriate conversation, eyeing the food hungrily. As it was set down in front of her, the girl poked the strange food with a finger nervously a few times ... then took a small bite out of it. Her amber eyes widened and for the first time the other two would see a large smile of excitement spread across her face.

The third pound burger lasted less than forty five seconds. The girl was licking the remenents off her fingers, having consumed the meal in a way a dog would if it hadn't been fed for a week ... she was incredibly dirty, and not simply because of the way she had eaten. Her skin had dirt practically embedded into it, her fingernails would require several days at the spa. It would probably be a good idea to wash her and everything she sat in as soon as she found a bath. Her amber eyes returned to Livia after she finished eating, waiting for whatever came next.

"Well, someone was hungry." Now that that was over with...the girl was incredibly dirty. That wouldn't do, either. Thankfully at this late, the bathhouses would mostly be empty save for perhaps a few stragglers. Livia finished her tea swiftly, sitting the cup in her hands down on the table. "Well, now that you've eaten something other than whatever that filth you had been fed earlier, you need a good wash." Livia said, sitting the cup in her hands down on the table.

"Care to join us in the bathhouse, Katherine?"

Katherine had finished her own food, though slower than Fia and watched in awe. As Livia asked if she wanted to join in the bathhouse, Katherine did think about feeling somewhat sticky. It was always nice to not feel so and answered. "I believe I shall. A bath sounds just wonderful right now."

The Crimson haired girl simply looked between the two of them, seeming confused.

"A bath. To clean you all up. Your master didn't seem to take good care of you and you look all sorts of filthy." Katherine said in a nice tone. "Personally, I think you're rather pretty as so, I think Livia could agree you'll look much better clean and in a good set of clothes." The Puppeteer was smiling at the girl, looking at Livia as she brought up the woman's name. "Should I have my dolls go fetch something. . . Not so revealing for our guest here?"

"Please do. I can not have her going around in these rags. She would look lovely in something green, I think." Livia replied as she turned to Fia. "Now come along, we'll have you cleaned up in no time." Livia ushered the girl out of her office, and made her way to the baths followed quickly by Katherine.

The girl left the office as ordered, and stepped into the night air, not sure exactly what to expect.