1st of spring, 520 AV
The season had officially ticked over to spring; Aster could tell by the completed shift in colour of her hair, the tips no longer containing any hint of fawn brown, the strands now entirely a warm honey gold. It was spring. A new season, a new year.
She lay on the bed in her room at the inn, staring up at the ceiling. She had been so excited at all of the possibilities now that she was away from Alard and Sunberth...only to lie in bed for the past few days, overwhelmed and uncertain and listless. She didn't know what to do with herself.
With a long, drawn out sigh, Asterope sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. There had been talk of getting herself cleaned up and some new clothes when she arrived at the Outpost, and she figured it was about time she actually did so. She stretched, reaching up to rub at her neck, then paused to let her fingertips sweep over the naked expanse of healing skin.
It felt strange to be without her collar. Atmish had come by again at some point to briefly check-in on her and had helped her remove it, but she hadn't seen him since then. She recalled the feeling of a weight being lifted, quite literally, but other than that she had been avoiding addressing it; it was such a shock it almost made her feel numb.
The skin where the collar had sat around her neck was raw, too, and still tender. She'd been neglecting that as well. She carefully passed her hands around the ring of reddened skin, concentrating; her hands glowed gently as Aster concentrated, ageing the tender skin slightly, speeding up the healing process marginally.
With a sigh, she dropped her hands into her lap again. She wondered how much of a mess she looked; she was sure if she tried she could find a mirror, but a part of her blanched at the thought. She didn't want to see herself right now. She just wanted to curl back up in bed.
Gritting her teeth, Aster forced herself to her feet. She grabbed her money pouch, her map, and put her boots on before she left the room, locking it behind her. She traipsed down the stairs, her footsteps perhaps slightly too heavy for a creature of elegance such as herself, and paused at the front desk to ask about a place to get cleaned up.
The woman looked at her with what felt like thinly-veiled pity, and Asterope wound her arms around her torso, avoiding meeting the other woman's gaze as she was given directions to a spa. With a muttered thanks, Aster was on her way, walking with her head ducked slightly, both to avoid any stares and to focus on the map she held clutched in her hands.
She was at the Khamsin Inn, and the spa was there, and the woman had told her to turn...it took a bit of navigating and a bit of backtracking, but eventually, Asterope made her way to the spa. Walking inside, Aster immediately felt overwhelmed by the beautiful and elegant building, and despite herself, felt out of place.
A woman with dark, gilded skin and multiple arms approached her, her features school into a perfectly welcoming smile. Aster blinked; she recalled reading about people with several pairs of arms who also lived in the desert, called Eypharians. She supposed it made sense for the Outpost to be popular for people of the desert; it was rather hot, and all of the windows she had passed revealed a vast expanse of sand.
"Hello," The woman greeted her. "Come, right this way, please. We'll get you undressed and bathing right away." Aster opened her mouth to say something, then nodded, and followed the woman.
She was lead to a small and private bathing chamber, where another woman waited. The Eypharian vanished quietly as the new woman smiled broadly at Aster. "Hello! My name is Gracie. I'll be helping you bathe today."
Aster recoiled slightly at that. "Oh, uhm, I don't think I really need any help," she stammered, as Gracie ushered her firmly into the room, closing the door.
She lay on the bed in her room at the inn, staring up at the ceiling. She had been so excited at all of the possibilities now that she was away from Alard and Sunberth...only to lie in bed for the past few days, overwhelmed and uncertain and listless. She didn't know what to do with herself.
With a long, drawn out sigh, Asterope sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. There had been talk of getting herself cleaned up and some new clothes when she arrived at the Outpost, and she figured it was about time she actually did so. She stretched, reaching up to rub at her neck, then paused to let her fingertips sweep over the naked expanse of healing skin.
It felt strange to be without her collar. Atmish had come by again at some point to briefly check-in on her and had helped her remove it, but she hadn't seen him since then. She recalled the feeling of a weight being lifted, quite literally, but other than that she had been avoiding addressing it; it was such a shock it almost made her feel numb.
The skin where the collar had sat around her neck was raw, too, and still tender. She'd been neglecting that as well. She carefully passed her hands around the ring of reddened skin, concentrating; her hands glowed gently as Aster concentrated, ageing the tender skin slightly, speeding up the healing process marginally.
With a sigh, she dropped her hands into her lap again. She wondered how much of a mess she looked; she was sure if she tried she could find a mirror, but a part of her blanched at the thought. She didn't want to see herself right now. She just wanted to curl back up in bed.
Gritting her teeth, Aster forced herself to her feet. She grabbed her money pouch, her map, and put her boots on before she left the room, locking it behind her. She traipsed down the stairs, her footsteps perhaps slightly too heavy for a creature of elegance such as herself, and paused at the front desk to ask about a place to get cleaned up.
The woman looked at her with what felt like thinly-veiled pity, and Asterope wound her arms around her torso, avoiding meeting the other woman's gaze as she was given directions to a spa. With a muttered thanks, Aster was on her way, walking with her head ducked slightly, both to avoid any stares and to focus on the map she held clutched in her hands.
She was at the Khamsin Inn, and the spa was there, and the woman had told her to turn...it took a bit of navigating and a bit of backtracking, but eventually, Asterope made her way to the spa. Walking inside, Aster immediately felt overwhelmed by the beautiful and elegant building, and despite herself, felt out of place.
A woman with dark, gilded skin and multiple arms approached her, her features school into a perfectly welcoming smile. Aster blinked; she recalled reading about people with several pairs of arms who also lived in the desert, called Eypharians. She supposed it made sense for the Outpost to be popular for people of the desert; it was rather hot, and all of the windows she had passed revealed a vast expanse of sand.
"Hello," The woman greeted her. "Come, right this way, please. We'll get you undressed and bathing right away." Aster opened her mouth to say something, then nodded, and followed the woman.
She was lead to a small and private bathing chamber, where another woman waited. The Eypharian vanished quietly as the new woman smiled broadly at Aster. "Hello! My name is Gracie. I'll be helping you bathe today."
Aster recoiled slightly at that. "Oh, uhm, I don't think I really need any help," she stammered, as Gracie ushered her firmly into the room, closing the door.
