Florence moved with purpose, not just settling in but truly taking ownership of the space. She first approached the courtyard door, opening it smoothly without hesitation, then stepped out confidently.

She strolled around the entire perimeter, paying close attention to every detail—from the corners and the height of the wall to the drainage channel on the side, and even the latch on the gate — to see how it fit within the frame. After her thorough inspection, she returned inside, her presence purposeful and calm.

Dominic’s room door. Opened. She stepped in and looked at everything with the same systematic attention. The bed, the desk, the window angle, and the storage against the far wall. Stepped back out.

Theresa’s door was slightly ajar, and Florence had her hand resting gently on the handle.

Theresa was so engrossed in her book that she didn’t look up when Florence approached, or so Florence thought.

"Don’t," Theresa said softly.

But Florence opened it anyway.

In just seconds, it was clear that Theresa’s space was a reflection of her personality- neat, organised, and effortlessly elegant. Florence took it all in quietly, then gently stepped back out and closed the door with care.

She moved through the study and the kitchen, checking them each time to be sure, leaving everything just as she found it.

Standing in the middle of the main room, hands on her hips, she looked around with a thoughtful expression, as if she was wrapping up an important Chapter.

"Nice place," she said. Completely at home. "Small but defensible. Good courtyard." A tilt of her head. "Could use more furniture, though, and some color. That corner is doing absolutely nothing for the whole look, and you’ve got the bones for a proper space here."

She said it with complete sincerity, the general and the interior critic operating simultaneously in the same body without contradiction.

Dominic had not moved from the spot he’d been standing in when she arrived.

Theresa had not looked up once.

Wobbly had retreated fully to Theresa’s lap and was pressed against her with its glow at its lowest since the graveyard. Theresa’s hand rested near it without quite touching it, a steadying presence.

***

Florence turned and looked at Dominic properly.

She straightened. One hand over her chest, bowing slightly. The gesture was almost formal except for the grin that lived underneath everything she did.

"Master. Your faithful and humble servant has arrived."

Dominic looked at her.

"Just call me Dominic."

"Of course, Master."

"Dominic."

"Understood completely, Master."

"That’s not—"

"Yes, Master."

He stopped. He looked at Theresa. Theresa’s expression gave him absolutely nothing useful. She had the look of someone watching something entertaining from a position of complete safety, with no intention of becoming involved.

He looked back at Florence.

"Fine," he said. "Forget it."

"Yes, Master," Florence said pleasantly.

He decided to move on.

***

She found the storeroom and asked about everything in it. She found the remaining spatial bags and asked about those. She picked up an artifact from the table, examined it, set it down and picked up another. She opened a sealed container she absolutely should not have opened without asking, and Dominic removed it from her hands before she got it fully open.

"That’s unidentified."

"I can identify it."

"You don’t know what’s in it."

"That’s what I plan to find out by identifying it."

He put it back. She accepted this without argument and moved immediately to the next thing.

Then she found it, sitting amidst the loot that was still spread across the far end of the shelf, waiting patiently to be properly assessed along with everything else they hadn’t gotten to yet. She gently picked it up, noticing the craftsmanship — it was undeniable. The enchantment immediately registered in her mind, clearly indicating its value and age.

What truly caught her attention was the design, which was something entirely different and captivating.

She examined it with interest for a moment before turning to Dominic, her face showing a mixture of curiosity and concern, with several questions carefully arranged in her mind.

"Master."

"...It’s loot from a mission."

"But a collar? Not just any collar but a kinky one."

"We were looting a structure underground. There was a significant amount to go through in a limited time."

"And you picked this up."

"It was chaotic, and we needed to leave, so there really wasn’t much time to think things through."

"So in the middle of a collapsing underground structure—"

"I grabbed everything..."

Florence looked at the item. Then at Dominic. Then at Theresa.

Theresa had not looked up from her book. But she had stopped turning pages.

Florence set the item back on the table with the careful deliberateness of someone exercising considerable restraint about several things they were choosing not to say.

"Interesting," she said.

Dominic let out a deep breath, face-palming himself as he felt all of his energy being drained out of him.

"Master has varied tastes," Florence said finally, with a smirk.

"That’s not what—"

"Noted," she said pleasantly, and moved on.

Wobbly leaned back a bit on Theresa’s lap, its glow gradually settling into a more normal state. It kept a close watch on Florence, as if it had decided that observing was the best way to understand what was happening, and it was fully committed to this approach.

*** 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

By the time the hour grew late, the city outside had settled into silence.

Florence curiously asked about her sleeping arrangements. Dominic kindly explained that she could stay in his room for tonight, until the permanent setup was arranged tomorrow — he would take the main room.

She glanced at his door, then looked back at him, a hint of thoughtfulness in her eyes.

"You’re giving me your room."

"Just for tonight."

"Master is generous."

"Dominic."

"Yes, Master."

He gave up. She found this deeply satisfying in a way she didn’t attempt to conceal.

***

Theresa took the lead, being brief and to the point. She wished them both goodnight. Florence observed as Theresa made her way across the main room and slipped through her door, her curiosity evident, she’d been observing since she arrived and was still gathering information.

Now, Dominic stood at Florence’s door, his door, for now.

"Try to sleep," he said. "We’ll talk more in the morning."

She gently leaned against the doorframe, her gaze fixed on him with that same bright readiness she had carried since she first arrived. It was as if she had decided long ago that being truly present was the best way to go, and she had always stayed true to that choice.

"Goodnight, Master," she said.

He opened his mouth.

"Sleep well," she added.

The tease was still there, but beneath it, there was something different—a genuine warmth that had nothing to do with the performance. It was a moment that carried a weight she hadn’t felt in anything she had said since arriving.

He looked at her thoughtfully for a moment.

Then he nodded softly and headed to the main room, the door gently clicking shut behind him.

***

The room was softly lit by the gentle glow coming through the window.

She lay peacefully on her back on the bed, arms relaxed and gazing up at the ceiling—someone else’s ceiling, in someone else’s room. The familiar scent of the space filled her senses, a comforting reminder of a place that has its own unique smell.

The bustling chaos of the evening was gradually fading, settling quietly inside her.

Then, her voice emerged softly, low and gentle, as if speaking to someone or somewhere far away.

Hey, old man. I’m alive again.

Heh. Never thought I’d miss the smell of a lived-in room as much as I do right now. Or the scent of someone else’s space.

The boy who pulled me back is going to be fun. Still has bright eyes even after whatever terrible life put that look on his face. Not a fool either, which matters more. You always liked people like that—the ones who kept something intact through the parts that should have broken it.

I might enjoy serving him.

Yes, yes, I just got here. But you know I’m a wonderful judge of character.

There was a woman already with him. Pulled before me, I think. By the gods, though, she watches like a knife hidden in silk. Quiet and calculating and completely still, and I caught her reading me three separate times before I’d been here an hour. Smart woman. I’m definitely going to enjoy annoying her.

Then there’s that creature.

I genuinely do not know what possessed this world to produce something so completely absurd. It glows. It bounces. It retreated into the other woman’s lap when I arrived, like a very small, extremely luminous cat, and watched me the entire time from a position of complete safety.

I think I like it.

I think I’m going to like it here.

Anyway, I miss you.

She softly shifted onto her side, facing the wall. The room was peaceful, wrapped in a calm silence, and she felt the comforting presence around her. Her mind was already drifting to thoughts of tomorrow, filled with gentle anticipation.