Watching Miranda finish up her soup, Madame nodded. “That’s fine. Greer, you can help Cadwyn with the wash, then,” she said, rearranging the girls like playing pieces on a board. Madame always preferred the girls to be doing something when possible. She felt they should earn free time, not wake up to it.<br/><br/>Greer groaned in response, leaning back in her chair to add dramatic effect. “Must I, Madame?” She asked, a pitiful sound in her voice.<br/><br/>Not bothering to glance up from her soup, Madame said, “Yes. You must.” Greer often played these little games with Madame, trying to test the boundaries every day. The fact that she wasn’t berated spoke well of Madame Talamh’s mood. There were days were Madame only glared, and some where she yelled. Greer still wasn't sure which was worse.<br/><br/>Brightening, Greer stood up with her own empty soup bowl. She grabbed Miranda’s discarded bowl and added it to her own before asking, “Anyone else done?” She looked around the table, offering to take the bowls to be washed.<br/><br/>Madame shook her head, wanting to enjoy her soup. “No, it’s keeping me warm. Would you heat it up some more?” She asked. Greer rolled her eyes with a grin, but placed her free hand on the bowl and did as she was bid. Madame then turned her gaze to Kitty. “No pain, no gain,” she said with a smirk in reference to the annoying corset. “They may not feel fun now, but eventually, you will stop even noticing you are wearing one.” She took a bite of her reheated soup before adding, “And it helps with your posture. You shouldn’t slouch. Stand proud. The poking will remind you of that.”<br/><br/>Wearing a corset was also a sign of your worth. Madame had always remembered working in Pond Scum and seeing girls with enough money to have a corset. The objects had to be made to perfectly fit the girl it was molded to. A lot of time and effort would go into making one. She had always envied the object. When she had been able to afford her own, she had worn it with pride. She gifted each of her girls a corset, measured and made upon their joining the brothel. Some of them had since saved up enough gold to buy fancier, more expensive ones, but they all still wore the one given to them by Madame from time to time.<br/><br/>Offering up her own bowl to Greer and murmuring her thanks, Maeghan then focused on Kitty. A huge smile caressed her face at the request, her large dimples making an appearance. “I would love to read to you,” she said. “You just pick out which one you want, and I’ll read it.” She scraped the last bit of soup out of the bowl with her spoon. Then she stood up, pushing her chair back. “I’ll go look at the books now, Madame,” she said by way of excusing herself before taking to the stairs.<br/><br/>“Kitty, before I work on your makeup, I need to speak with Tori,” Madame told the newest girl. “I’ll meet you up in your room.” The hint was subtle, but Cadwyn understood that Madame Talamh wanted to speak with the bodyguard alone. Picking up her bowl, she set it down by the wash basin. Cadwyn motioned to Greer and the two both went upstairs to collect bedding and clothing to start the wash.