<div class="floatleft">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/2/2f/AviciaB_zpscg0eysap.jpg)</div><br/><br/><strong>Name:  Avicia (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=266077.msg13173582#msg13173582)</strong><br/><br/><strong>CLIENT</strong><br/><br/><strong>Situation:</strong>Coming to terms with herself<br/><br/><br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Andrea<br/><br/><strong>Content Warning:</strong><em>None</em><br/><br/><br/><hr/><hr/><br/><br/>Avicia saw the tall, gracious blonde coming towards her, holding two exquisite crystal stems, and she turned to greet the woman.  Her heart was racing, and little waves of excitement shimmered through her, from her belly all the way to her toes and her fingertips.  She was no longer standing on the outskirts of the world, looking in.  She was on the very edge of taking part in everything this House had to offer.  With an odd and exhilarating mixture of apprehension, excitement, and eager impatience, she took a step towards the woman, and another.<br/><br/>There.  It was done; she had chosen.  Willingly, deliberately, she had turned her back on the last thirty years of a life that had been dictated to her by others.  That life had served her well enough; it had ensured her comfort and security for the rest of her days.  How ironic that it had also given her the means to be standing here.  But with just those two small steps, Avicia felt the weight of those years fall from her shoulders, and her very soul felt lighter and more joyful.  She was free.  The next thirty years would be whatever she wished to make of them, and whatever came next would be of her own choosing.  For a moment she was dazzled, dizzy with the endless, limitless possibilities spread out before her, ever more inviting, more enticing. And every one of those possibilities, all her new freedom, all her new responsibilities were represented in the warm, beautiful woman with the warm, beautiful smile.  She stood serenely, offering Avicia everything in the world, all the countless possibilities that life had to offer, all residing enticingly in a a glass of the finest crystal.<br/><br/>“Lady Avicia, welcome to the One Night Bride, and to any and all pleasures and delights we can offer to sate both your curiosities and desires.  A drink for you, choose either, one has a bit or tartness, that is on the left, and the other a hint of melon liqueur, both quite chilled and not sweet or strong, and then again, not too lacking in taste or strength either, as you seem to me to be a woman who possesses both of those qualities.”<br/><br/>Avicia hesitated for a moment.  She was completely enchanted; but she was unsure of how to respond. In her world, women did not discuss such forward things, for women did discuss much of any import at all. "How very kind of you, Mistress Andrea," she said.  "Thank you."  It seemed so inadequate.  Impulsively, for the lack of having fine words of her own, she reached out and touched her fingertips gently to the woman's wrist for a few scant seconds, smiling gratefully up at her, before taking the stem from the woman's left hand.<br/><br/>"Cheers," she said simply, lifting her glass to her benefactor.  She sipped her drink experimentally, and her face broke out into a smile of sheer delight.  "This is lovely, exactly what I told Travers I wanted!"  Another sip, a broader smile, and she suddenly looked up at Andrea again with a little twinkle of understanding.  It was Andrea, not Travers, who had selected this marvelous drink for her tonight. How kind of her!  "You must tell me what it is, so that I may ask for it again!  I do regret, though, that I waited too long and lost my chance to speak to Madame Celeste."  A small frown of dismay shadowed the bright, lively eyes.  What must Celeste think of her?  What if she were not allowed to return?<br/><br/>“Celeste has much to do this eve, though I am quite certain that you can find her again in a time if that is your desire, but until then, would you share a seat and a tale or two with me whilst we celebrate the brilliant newness of your presence here among us.  I am certain that I can speak clearly and, well, loudly seems not very apropos to her style, but perhaps clearly and appreciatively on Celeste’s behalf, to welcome and honor you as our guest.  Please, if you would, that sofa nearest the wall draping seems a quiet place to get to know something of you, and to answer any queries and requests you may have.”<br/><br/>The widow watched, fascinated, as Andrea sipped from her own glass with a sensual grace that Avicia had never seen before.  It was dazzling to watch her; every movement, every breath, every flicker of her hazel eyes was like a dance, or a work of art.  Her eyes, bright and clear, were fixed on Avicia's own, and the older woman found herself charmed and gratified by the attention.  She tore her own eyes away to seek out...  Yes, there was the sofa, in a small alcove that nobody else seemed to have noticed.<br/><br/>"I would love to, Mistress Andrea.  How very kind of you."  She was repeating herself, and as she turned towards the little alcove, she winced inwardly.  She would need to learn how to untie her tongue, and unlearn all the polite and automatic responses that had been acceptable at court.<br/><br/>Her feet sank luxuriously into the carpets as she walked, and the sofa was small but perfect in its comfort, designed for two people to engage in conversation.  Or... or in other activities, she supposed, for that was the whole point of a brothel after all.  The music, the comfort, the drinks in their crystal, the rich colours and the rich textures -- they were all here to create the most perfect experience possible for the customers.  Even Mistress Andrea.  That grace, that intensity, the way she gazed on Avicia, they were all the well-learned tools of a consummate professional.<br/><br/>On her way to the One-Night Bride, as Tiye guided her through the twists and turns of the Bazaar, Avicia had reminded herself yet again: she was on her way to a brothel.  However elegant, however luxurious, it was still a place that existed for the buying and selling of flesh, pleasure, and dreams.  She must not mistake attention for affection, or the trappings of romance for love.  Even now, settling comfortably into the sofa, a small voice in the back of Avicia's mind was telling her that Mistress Andrea was a courtesan, a professional seducer, and that all she really wanted was Avicia's coin.<br/><br/>The small voice was persistent, but it was growing softer and softer.  In her head, Avicia knew that she should be wise and wary; she should not accept this woman's interest and kindness at face value.<br/><br/>But in her heart, instinctively, she could not believe such a thing.  No matter how prudent the warnings were, she simply could not take them seriously.  Kindness such as Avicia had been shown was a precious gift, not a trap for the gullible, and there had been far too little of it in her life.  She sipped again from her glass, savouring the bright, crisp taste of the lemon, and silenced the small voice in the back of her head once and for all.<br/><br/>"You asked about my queries and requests," she said finally, turning on the couch towards Mistress Andrea.  Her eyes and her voice were soft, but serious.  "I must confess that I don't know what I want.  I suppose that sounds strange, but the truth is, I've had very little experience."  That sounded strange, too, even to her own ears.  "But I know I want something new.  Something different."  Oh, dear -- that sounded even stranger, and not at all what she had meant.<br/><br/>Avicia set her glass down on the side table and turned back towards Mistress Andrea, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, fingers entertwined once more.  "It's supposed to be pleasurable," she said earnestly.  Her cheeks were flaming crimson, and her voice was almost too low to be heard, but the her eyes met Andrea's frankly, without flinching or wavering.  "That's what I want."<br/><br/>