<em>~ Mila, in her bedroom ~</em><br/><br/>Mila spent the afternoon unpacking her belongings, making sure everything was put away in a place where she'd be able to find it when she needed it.  She had then taken a long bath, the warm water helping to soothe her nerves.  Now she stood before the full-length mirror, looking at herself with a critical eye.  She wanted to make sure she looked a nice as possible for this first meeting with the five strangers who would be her family for the next six months.<br/><br/>Her own family has disowned her a few years ago.  Once a year, she still tried to mail her mother a letter, but it was always sent back, marked "Return to  Sender."  She'd been raised in a traditional, conservative household.  Her father had died when she was in college, and she had dropped out because there was no money.  She had left Arizona and her family to live in Florida with Blake, her ex-boyfriend, then, and things had been fine.  It was after Blake had left her and moved back to Sedona that the problems with her mother and older brothers had started.  Her ex had spread stories about her wanting to be have group sex that had gotten back to her family.  He never had understood that what she wanted wasn't a swinger lifestyle, but rather a loving family that included more than just him and her.<br/><br/>It was that family that she'd come here seeking.  She'd seen the advertisement for the experiment and ignored it at first.  But when she thought about it every day for a month, she knew that she had to at least try.  What if this was what her life was missing?  And so she'd called the phone number provided and ended up at  Castle Làidir.  She wondered about the other members of the experiment.  She'd been told so little about them, only that there were three men and three women, and they all believed as she did, that romantic love was possible between multiple people, and that women should be guided by men who loved and cared for them.<br/><br/>She was nervous about the others not liking her.  She tended to be shy, even a little timid, with strangers.  She tried to force herself to be more outgoing, but it was awkward for her.  She smiled at her reflection in the mirror.  At least she looked nice, she thought.  Her  blue cocktail dress  (http://media.photobucket.com/image/flirty%20coctail%20dress/smercy2005/SHORT%2520EVENING%2520PROM%2520DRESSES/Paris-2008-Prom-Dress-18782B.jpg)was new, as were many of the things she had brought here.  When she had met with Miss Taylor and told she had been accepted into the project, the psychologist had provided a list of what she would need during the six months.  Mila guessed she had looked panicked, because immediately, the older woman had said not to worry, and had explained that there was an allowance to make purchases.  She had been given more money than she made in two months of teaching art classes at the community college and selling her own art.  She hadn't enjoyed the shopping spree that had followed, feeling guilty about spending someone else's money so freely, but now, looking at herself in the beautiful dress, she had to admit that she liked how it looked and felt on her.  The fabric clung to her breasts, accentuating them nicely, and the blue looked good against her skin.<br/><br/>She had left her  hair (http://www.dailymakeover.com/appImages/galleryImages/all_womens_looks/Ashley_Greene+Mar_14_2009.jpg) loose, curled around her face.  Dabbing a touch of Kate Spade perfume on her wrists, she took one final glance at herself and headed down to the Great Hall.<br/><br/><em>Continued in  The Great Hall (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=86351.msg3807501#msg3807501)</em>