Maid to Love You - A Clockwork Romance

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  • Informational
    • Maid to Love You
    A Clockwork Romance

    Miss Jane Eleanor Polestar
    The player character. An 18 (nearly 19!) year old woman, next in line to the County of Polaris, wandering the galaxy in search of love aboard MSY Mercury. You vote on her actions, but her perspective here is limited.

    Mark Butler
    Miss Polestar's robotic butler, and head of the servant staff. He is tasked primarily with management, but also acts as valet to any male visitors.

    Marie Lady's Maid
    The viewpoint character. A newly activated robotic servant who acts as Miss Polestar's lady's maid. Though witty and sharp, some quirk of her construction has intensified both her physical and emotional sensitivity. Is inexplicably French.

    Pierre Chef
    Miss Polestar's robotic cook, responsible for the kitchen and larder. He is noted to have loose association with many lovers in many ports.

    Tom Mechanic
    Miss Polestar's robotic handyman, who also helps to maintain the other machines.

    Tessa Mechanic
    Miss Polestar's robotic handywoman, who is hired later in the story. She has greatly modified her own body, and has a complicated history.

    Hans Messenger
    Miss Polestar's robotic messenger, who manages the mail, prints newspapers, delivers messages, and manages the property of guests. Is inexplicably German.

    Amber Housemaid
    Miss Polestar's robotic housemaid, who keeps MSY Mercury clean and tidy. Noted to have two large, orange headlamp eyes. Is inexplicably American.

    Polly Kitchen Maid
    Miss Polestar's robotic kitchen maid, who assists Pierre in making food. Also the head of the serving staff's union, a position she does not take very seriously.

    Content Warning
    This quest is an erotic romance. There will be sexual content, and it will not be separated from the main text or spoiler tagged. You have been warned.​
     
    Last edited:
  • Informational
    • [X] The rimward frontier! Old stars fading to the edge of the galaxy, where an icy chill grips the very fabric of space itself. There are the worlds of long ago, dead civilizations and ancient ruins, the clutter of past empires and their great works. And, if you are a gullible sort, where ghosts congregate in the dark between stars. Nonsense, of course.
     
    One more thought:
    open_sketch said:
    Jane has acknowledged that the current situation is not ideal, and we ought to find a solution to the imbalance. We aren't sure what, exactly, that is yet, but Jane has a creative mind and ample research material.

    … when I put it like that, it is near to worrying.
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    I don't know what you're worried about. What could go wrong(right)? We should encourage her creativity. For science.
    :)
     
    [X] The rimward frontier! Old stars fading to the edge of the galaxy, where an icy chill grips the very fabric of space itself. There are the worlds of long ago, dead civilizations and ancient ruins, the clutter of past empires and their great works. And, if you are a gullible sort, where ghosts congregate in the dark between stars. Nonsense, of course.
     
    Just caught up on this quest. (Stuff got busy IRL, and I fell behind). I have to say this narrative consistently delivers 100% grade-A pining. It hurts so good!

    [X] The rimward frontier! Old stars fading to the edge of the galaxy, where an icy chill grips the very fabric of space itself. There are the worlds of long ago, dead civilizations and ancient ruins, the clutter of past empires and their great works. And, if you are a gullible sort, where ghosts congregate in the dark between stars. Nonsense, of course.

    Welp, I called it with the Lovelace twin who isn't Tabby. I do hope we get some clarification about Not-Tabby's gender. Like, did Not-Tabby come out as a trans woman or as an enby? Would people even have a concept of enbies in this setting?

    I suppose there is the Victorian concept of 'inversion', which (as far as I know) conflates sexuality and gender identity. I suppose that concept overlaps with enby-dom. Also, I have no idea how offensive that term was to people at the time. Like, I believe the word started out as a formal (pseudo-)scientific term, and those tend not to be too offensive (until they bleed into common usage and pick up a lot of unfortunate baggage).

    Anyways, that's a long-winded way of saying that I'd like to know what name and pronouns I should use to refer to Not-Tabby.
     
    ancusohm said:
    Just caught up on this quest. (Stuff got busy IRL, and I fell behind). I have to say this narrative consistently delivers 100% grade-A pining. It hurts so good!

    [X] The rimward frontier! Old stars fading to the edge of the galaxy, where an icy chill grips the very fabric of space itself. There are the worlds of long ago, dead civilizations and ancient ruins, the clutter of past empires and their great works. And, if you are a gullible sort, where ghosts congregate in the dark between stars. Nonsense, of course.

    Welp, I called it with the Lovelace twin who isn't Tabby. I do hope we get some clarification about Not-Tabby's gender. Like, did Not-Tabby come out as a trans woman or as an enby? Would people even have a concept of enbies in this setting?

    I suppose there is the Victorian concept of 'inversion', which (as far as I know) conflates sexuality and gender identity. I suppose that concept overlaps with enby-dom. Also, I have no idea how offensive that term was to people at the time. Like, I believe the word started out as a formal (pseudo-)scientific term, and those tend not to be too offensive (until they bleed into common usage and pick up a lot of unfortunate baggage).

    Anyways, that's a long-winded way of saying that I'd like to know what name and pronouns I should use to refer to Not-Tabby.
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    people really ought to be using she/her, but they are all quite out of their depths.
     
    XXV - The Vast Frontier
  • Threadmarks
    • "... take us to the rimward frontier!" she announced boldly, then set the receiver down with a grin. "I'm so glad. I feel like we're about to embark on a great adventure, don't you?"

    "Is that feeling supposed to be rather ominous?" I asked, and she rolled her eyes at me in a most unlady-like manner.

    "Come now, it'll be fun. Though… do you have any winter clothing?" she asked.

    "No, when we went skiing with the lieutenant, I had to borrow from the rest of the crew. Other than my dress and… the swimwear, I have only what was shipped in the box I came in." I said. So in other words, just my black dress, stockings, gloves, apron, and hat, their spares, and the shoes on my feet.

    "We shall need to get you bundled up at the next outpost, then, it's going to get a mite chilly. We all also have to winterize the ship, for that matter. Come, Marie, we're going to have a very busy couple of days!"

    ----

    I must apologize yet again for the gap in my writing. I've had a very busy couple of days.

    We stopped in at a trading post along the route for desperately needed supplies, and I spent the better part of a few hours turned over to the tender mercies of yet another band of tailors, these ones sizing me for a set of winter clothing to bundle me up in. It will fit much better than the improvised set I was forced to wear on my last winter excursion, and promises to be much warmer as well, but it isn't very flattering being wrapped in felt and wool. Better than freezing, I suppose.

    I also spent some of my wages while I was there, just a very small amount, on a hairpin that caught my eye. Obviously, I do not need to pin my hair, being as it is pliable copper wiring that keeps any shape I put it in, but I could still wear it as an affectation, and I thought it looked nice. It was a little silver butterfly with artificial sapphires dotted along it, and it is a testament to the age that I could afford such a thing with a little less than a week's pay.

    I thought perhaps I should save more responsibly, but I don't regret purchasing it. When my duties are done at the end of the day and I am sitting and talking with Miss Polestar, I will wear it and look just a little bit fancy.

    … I do hope she likes it.

    Besides that, though, we have been running about non-stop in preparation. Miss Polestar wanted to try and cover any emergency eventualities we might encounter on our way out there, and be equipped for any expeditions we might embark upon, while the ship itself needed to be modified. In its current configuration, it was for cruising luxuriously about civilized space, where help is never more than a few hours away by solar sail. It had to be hardened against the cold, stockpiles had to be made, and even the sails needed to be changed out for models which would harness the cold blue light of the aging stars of the rim.

    As part of this preparation, I am pleased to say that the rest of the crew was not spared the attention of the tailor. Alas, their ministrations were less pronounced than they were with me, for it seems that the tailors had not come across my model before, and were somewhat eager to work with a new body-type.

    I must admit, however, that in Amber's case, at least, they did very good work, her new outfit is very fetching, and she modeled it with glee to the rest of the crew.

    In contrast, Tessa already had her own, with full mountaineering gear, and a suitcase of other such supplies. Pointedly, when asked, she did not say what the suitcases exactly, merely that it contained "the bare necessities." I did not ask again.

    Finally, we picked up the emergency gear that we hoped we wouldn't have to use. Affixed to the Mercury was a great lens, a signaling lamp which could be read across interstellar distances, should we need to signal for help. Additionally, Jane got a set of flare rockets whose trails could easily be seen in orbit, should something go wrong in her explorations. And at last, though not by any means at least, her personal protection.

    "You can never be too careful, Marie." she said, as we carried it back.

    "I do not think 'careful' is the word I would associate with a six foot long laser musket." I observed. Where would we even keep it?

    ---

    We had a long trip, then, out to the frontier. We were heading to Man's End, the last lonely outpost of civilization before the endless unexplored stars beyond, and the journey would take some time. We had little to do but pass the time with one another.

    We played a great many games of cards, read together, sparred, and more than once just sat in the greenhouse room and watched the stars outside zip by, their light growing ever more dim and chill until frost began to creep up the glass. We huddled near the hearth in her sitting room as the temperature dropped, enjoying the warmth and each other's company, and with no visitors and few duties, I found myself in an unusual position.

    For a little while, I was not a maid. I was just Marie.

    To that extent, I feel I must transcribe one of our first true conversations as Jane and Marie: For context, it was our fifth day in deep space, almost a third of the way to Man's End, and I was tidying the Mercury's library following Jane's latest attempt at 'research'.

    She had been searching numerous records for references to individuals such as ourselves, and had grown more and more frustrated as her efforts proved largely fruitless, likely due to the rarity of those in our exact circumstances. At that moment, she had largely given up, sprawling in a rather unladylike manner across her favourite armchair.

    "Mariiiiiie." I looked up from where I was carefully stacking the jumbled records Jane had progressed through like an easily distracted storm.

    "Yes Jane?" I confess, I still feel something of a flutter in my circuits whenever I use her first name. She always did, of course, but the conversational tone lends to it a power...

    "Can't that wait? You aren't a librarian you know…"

    I must say I felt a measure of confusion at her words, "that doesn't mean I can't tidy up, you realise." I said, the warmth in my voice kept any accusation from my words.

    "Sure but… Why?" Jane's face likewise held no ill intent, simply curiosity that I was more than happy to entertain.

    "I find it pleasurable. There is a certain satisfaction to be found in making order out of chaos." Hefting the now orderly stack of records into my arms, I began sorting them into their respective places atop the library's shelves. "It is similar, I find, to the satisfaction gained from mastering a difficult fencing technique, or winning a hand of poker. Simply put, it's fun."

    "You have a strange definition of fun, Marie." Jane said with a grin, resting her chin on her arms as she gazed at me over the arm of her chair.

    "I have a tidy definition of fun." I countered, which caused Jane huff a laugh.

    "I supposed you do," Jane smirked, "though it does throw a wrench in my plans to rob a bank and give you the proceeds so you never have to work again."

    Having placed the records back in their rightful places, I put my hands on my hips and turned to face Jane. "Miss Polestar, please do not commit crimes with me in mind. If you simply must break the law, please do so for your own benefit rather than my own." I grinned. "I am more than capable of breaking the law myself, thank you very much."

    That drew a laugh from Jane, a sound I may or may not have recorded for later listening. "Fair enough, fair enough. Although… if you were to gain a sudden influx of… shall we say, cash monies, what would you do with it?"

    This did cause me some pause. While I, along with my fellows, received a wage from the Polestar estate, I must admit, I had so far used very little of it. In fact, my only real purchases were a few items of clothing which had caught my eye, the previously mentioned hairpin, and a singular piece of… private literature of an adult nature.

    Jane obviously noticed my hesitation, and pressed further, "surely there has to be something you want."

    In order to buy some time whilst thinking up an actual answer, I decided to deflect. "If I were so independently wealthy that I had no need to work, I feel I would hire a Miss for the sole purpose of giving me chores to do. None of the boring ones, of course. But perhaps making tea, or helping her choose what clothes to wear each day. I do enjoy a well coordinated outfit, after all."

    … perhaps that was too revealing. My nerves, however, were short lived as Jane pouted, a sight, I also recorded for later perusal.

    "But Mariiiie, then you wouldn't be there to help me with those things!"

    "True, true. I guess I must stay with you then." I said as I smiled, as this wouldn't be that much of a hardship. "More seriously though, if money were no object, I think I would like to explore the possibility of getting some upgrades. Not that I'm dissatisfied with my current body, of course, but given the opportunity, I quite like the idea of experimenting a little."

    Tilting her head in a way that made something in my chest ache, she raised an eyebrow at me. "And how would you experiment, if you were able?"

    Once again, I think I said too much, and now I desperately had to not say what I was actually thinking. Immediately discarding my first five ideas as being unacceptable for polite company, a process that thankfully, took less than a moment. I had been thinking about it, after all.

    "I should want joints that are a little less exposed, on my fingers at the very least." I remembered the glitter incident with a shudder "It is very difficult to clean at the moment. And perhaps to be more expressive: my eyes can say a lot, but what if I could smile?"

    "I would very much like to see you smile." Jane replied, and I had to stop talking as my cheeks turned into supernovas, causing her to laugh as I attempted to control my embarrassment.

    ---

    Unfortunately, by day eight or thereabouts, I was growing rather restless. I still had some duties, of course, the Miss' morning and evening routines, but the idleness was certainly beginning to get to me by the time we neared Man's End.

    Humans sometimes mischaracterize us in cruel ways, I've learned. They think of our work ethic as something like an addiction we have to feed, but it isn't, really. I like to think of it more like… there are great human artists, painters and sculptors and writers, who it would be cruel to deny them the practice of their art, right? It is similar for us.

    For me, anticipating the needs of my Miss, helping her through her day, tidying her life, that is my art!

    And I was sorely missing it.

    I began to find small ways to stay attentive to her needs without being disruptive to our routine. For instance, I made it my personal policy to always have fresh tea ready for her, at all times, which occupied just a few minutes at a time but helped me to feel more useful and organized. I took excursions to the library to sort out potential books for her based on our conversations and my reckoning of her interests at the moment. I made a project out of reorganizing her closet to better suit the climate, packing away the warmer-weather clothes and bringing the heavier fabrics to the fore.

    Miss Polestar noticed, of course. How could she not? To my delight, she does focus quite a bit of her attention on me these days, after all. But… I could tell she found it strange, perhaps even troubling to her conception of me.

    She would always ask me, when I busied myself with a task, if I was okay. Which I was!

    This came to a head, of sorts, the night before we reached Man's End, which is, on further consideration, a rather ominous name for what is essentially a small outpost above an icy rock, right at the far bounds of what we might call settled space. Few made their homes here, mostly machines working short contracts before retreating back to warmer climes with considerable hardship pay in their pockets. The adventurers making their expeditions out to some unknown star would stop here between journeys to resupply and enjoy the fruits of civilization before getting back on their ships and venturing out again.

    Just beyond was a glittering blanket of stars, unexplored by humanity, the endless mystery of space.

    Miss Polestar and I took a short detour out to talk to the adventurers and get our bearings, perhaps get a direction. I took the butterfly pin out of my hair and replaced my cap, and resumed my more professional bearing as we stopped by the small club which acted as a meeting place for the explorers. I was expecting grizzled veteran adventurers from a storybook, and I think Miss Polestar was too, but for the most part they were just young people much like her, curious individuals and couples out for an adventure together.

    Sure, it was dangerous and difficult work. But there was also the promise of an adventure, a thing not common in civilized space any longer. I thought I understood.

    We enjoyed a frankly quite familiar atmosphere for a few hours as Miss Polestar talked with the other patrons, and I hovered nearby awaiting her needs. Outside the thick window, the stellar winds howled, carrying motes of comet ice past the little capsule of warmth. I relayed her requests to the staff, took notes for her, and fetched her things at the end of the meeting, and it felt so good to be useful for a while.

    To be needed.

    Which is why what followed was so unexpected.

    We decided to stay moored at the station while Miss Polestar slept, to conserve our fuel supply and to allow for the last minute shuffling of supplies before setting out. I laid out Miss Polestar's nightclothes, plugged in her bedwarmer, and ensured all the curtains were drawn and sealed against the chill outside, and was prepared to retire for the night when she invited me to come sit with her.

    "Yes?" I asked, unsure in the moment if I ought to address her now as Jane or Miss.

    "I… have been doing some reading." she said, "And I think I may have a solution to our dilemma."

    "Ah." I said, knowing instantly to what she referred. The… impropriety, of being both her maid and her friend. The invariable conflict of interest.

    "I discovered that there is a role in a household hierarchy, one rarely invoked these days, but not improper, where you might be better suited. There would be no wage, but rather an allowance which rather resembles one, if you understand my meaning." she said. I nodded, well understanding the concept of a polite fiction.

    "To what do you refer?" I asked.

    "The role is known as a lady's companion. It's a rather ancient thing, from before women of gentle birth were much allowed to do any work, and much before machines sorted work out for us altogether, but apparently it is still practiced somewhat. Essentially, you'd be my friend… professionally."

    "Quite a promotion." I joked, which got a smile from her. See, I was already an expert. "So, would my duties much change, in this position?"

    "A bit." Miss Polestar said, deeply underselling it, "You wouldn't be expected to do any work I wouldn't."

    "Beg your pardon, miss, but you hardly do any work at all." I pointed out.

    "I… I suppose that is true."

    "Could I still make us tea?" I asked.

    "... I think that could very much still be your purview, but it wouldn't be proper for you to… fetch my things, take notes for me, that sort of thing. To… appear subservient. It would rather undermine things." she explained. "But I figure… it's an unusual circumstance, but this isn't unprecedented. In fact, I saw reference to the previous Prime Minister's wife employing a machine in just such a role, an old family friend if I understand it. If it passes muster in New London, I can't imagine we wouldn't be able to get away with it in whatever corner of the galaxy we might visit."

    "... I see." I said, thinking it over carefully. It was… difficult.

    On the one hand, this would mean no hiding things. There would be no illusion needed, not dancing around our friendship in public. No denial. We could talk as something like equals anywhere we went, we could just be friends together without work complicating things, without looking like I was overstepping my bounds, without her looking improper. We could take a brave step together.

    But...

    On the other, it would mean giving up, not all of my purpose, no, but much of it. Sitting in the discomfort and restlessness, understanding that who I was made to be, and who I want to be with, were incompatible.

    This was just one solution. The status quo, the way things were now, that wasn't so bad either. There was no reason, to my estimation, that I couldn't simply keep up this minor falsehood. I would be her maid to any man or machine who observed, and her friend behind closed doors, and nobody would be any the wiser. It would, at times, be awkward, but I could survive awkwardness.

    I turned the possibilities over in my mind, my processors running hot trying to puzzle it out. Trying to choose which discomfort I would prefer to sit with. Which fantasy I might live out. What path my life might take.

    It was much, much too big.

    It took me several tries to speak, to will the words to my mouth, to have them find their way through the confused minefield of emotions tangled up in my brain. But I finally managed it.

    "I don't know, Jane. I can't choose." I said, finally. "It's impossible for me. I was designed for one life, and it is at odds with another, and I can't...

    "You don't want to?" she said, and I shook my head.

    "No, I… I desperately do. I would love to. But I cannot shake the feeling that it is not who I am, or perhaps… perhaps the fear that I reach for too much. I don't know what I want." I said. "What do you think?"

    ---

    You don't exactly feel great putting her in this position, but it needed to be said. After all, you had seen just how much strain being caught half-way like this was putting on her. But what position should you champion to her?​
    ​
    [ ] Maid - Marie seems happy to maintain the fiction of simply being your maid, after all, and thinking on it, your objections were made without a full understanding of how she thought. It's a simple enough falsehood to maintain together, isn't it? Such a deception might even bring you closer together, and you don't think you'd much complain about that at all.​
    [ ] Lady's Companion - She said it herself. She wants this, desperately, but she is scared. You should reassure her, offer her comfort, help her be who she wants to be, rather than what they made her to be. And… it's not like there weren't productive tasks to be had. There was probably a lot of quilting in your futures. Though if she wants to discreetly reprise some of her favourite maidly duties, you wouldn't say no.​
    ​
    There is no wrong answer.​
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Lady's Companion - She said it herself. She wants this, desperately, but she is scared. You should reassure her, offer her comfort, help her be who she wants to be, rather than what they made her to be. And… it's not like there weren't productive tasks to be had. There was probably a lot of quilting in your futures. Though if she wants to discreetly reprise some of her favourite maidly duties, you wouldn't say no.
     
    [X] Lady's Companion - She said it herself. She wants this, desperately, but she is scared. You should reassure her, offer her comfort, help her be who she wants to be, rather than what they made her to be. And… it's not like there weren't productive tasks to be had. There was probably a lot of quilting in your futures. Though if she wants to discreetly reprise some of her favourite maidly duties, you wouldn't say no.
     
    [X] Lady's Companion - She said it herself. She wants this, desperately, but she is scared. You should reassure her, offer her comfort, help her be who she wants to be, rather than what they made her to be. And… it's not like there weren't productive tasks to be had. There was probably a lot of quilting in your futures. Though if she wants to discreetly reprise some of her favourite maidly duties, you wouldn't say no.
     
    [X] Lady's Companion - She said it herself. She wants this, desperately, but she is scared. You should reassure her, offer her comfort, help her be who she wants to be, rather than what they made her to be. And… it's not like there weren't productive tasks to be had. There was probably a lot of quilting in your futures. Though if she wants to discreetly reprise some of her favourite maidly duties, you wouldn't say no.
     
    [X] Lady's Companion - She said it herself. She wants this, desperately, but she is scared. You should reassure her, offer her comfort, help her be who she wants to be, rather than what they made her to be. And… it's not like there weren't productive tasks to be had. There was probably a lot of quilting in your futures. Though if she wants to discreetly reprise some of her favourite maidly duties, you wouldn't say no.
     
    Jeboboid said:
    "Fair enough, fair enough. Although… if you were to gain a sudden influx of… shall we say, cash monies, what would you do with it?"
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    So, I'm going to continue to ruin everything by thinking about the setting: I think that this is the future and we're in a Victorian Revivalist society, rather than the past and it's the first lot in space. Think about saying this sentence to your friend: "Although, if you were to suddenly get... shall we say, a surfeit of pecuniary advantage, what would you do with it?"

    Talking like you're 200 years ago is fun. We're in 2420. Nice.

    [X] Lady's Companion - She said it herself. She wants this, desperately, but she is scared. You should reassure her, offer her comfort, help her be who she wants to be, rather than what they made her to be. And… it's not like there weren't productive tasks to be had. There was probably a lot of quilting in your futures. Though if she wants to discreetly reprise some of her favourite maidly duties, you wouldn't say no.
     
    [X] Lady's Companion - She said it herself. She wants this, desperately, but she is scared. You should reassure her, offer her comfort, help her be who she wants to be, rather than what they made her to be. And… it's not like there weren't productive tasks to be had. There was probably a lot of quilting in your futures. Though if she wants to discreetly reprise some of her favourite maidly duties, you wouldn't say no.
     
    FrangibleCover said:
    So, I'm going to continue to ruin everything by thinking about the setting: I think that this is the future and we're in a Victorian Revivalist society, rather than the past and it's the first lot in space. Think about saying this sentence to your friend: "Although, if you were to suddenly get... shall we say, a surfeit of pecuniary advantage, what would you do with it?"

    Talking like you're 200 years ago is fun. We're in 2420. Nice.
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    I think this was already covered- the timeline diverges some time after the Napoleonic Wars. Civilization progresses directly from Victoriana through Steampunk to Post-Scarcity, and out to the stars.
     
    [X] Lady's Companion - She said it herself. She wants this, desperately, but she is scared. You should reassure her, offer her comfort, help her be who she wants to be, rather than what they made her to be. And… it's not like there weren't productive tasks to be had. There was probably a lot of quilting in your futures. Though if she wants to discreetly reprise some of her favourite maidly duties, you wouldn't say no.
     
    Jeboboid said:
    "No, I… I desperately do. I would love to. But I cannot shake the feeling that it is not who I am, or perhaps… perhaps the fear that I reach for too much. I don't know what I want." I said. "What do you think?"
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    This is what seals it for me. It feels like she would be forcing herself into a box that simply does not fit her because it carries an advantage she really wants.

    [X] Maid - Marie seems happy to maintain the fiction of simply being your maid, after all, and thinking on it, your objections were made without a full understanding of how she thought. It's a simple enough falsehood to maintain together, isn't it? Such a deception might even bring you closer together, and you don't think you'd much complain about that at all.
     
    [X] Lady's Companion - She said it herself. She wants this, desperately, but she is scared. You should reassure her, offer her comfort, help her be who she wants to be, rather than what they made her to be. And… it's not like there weren't productive tasks to be had. There was probably a lot of quilting in your futures. Though if she wants to discreetly reprise some of her favourite maidly duties, you wouldn't say no.

    So, I do understand @ChronOblivion's point. But I think that, all things considered, it's better for Marie to take a step forward outside her comfort zone and have the quiet deception be that she's still performing certain maidly duties than to stay within it and have the deception be that she's Jane's friend. And, more importantly, I really want to see Marie addressed more directly by this society. As a maid she's invisible. As a lady's companion, she's someone who will start to be noticed and engaged with. And not only is that something she needs to prepare for and learn about if she's ever going to win Jane's heart and be with her publicly, it's also something that promises to be extremely interesting to play.

    Besides. It's a time-honoured tradition to take poorly-thought-out and potentially disastrous opportunities and offers in the name of love. :V
     
    [X] Lady's Companion - She said it herself. She wants this, desperately, but she is scared. You should reassure her, offer her comfort, help her be who she wants to be, rather than what they made her to be. And… it's not like there weren't productive tasks to be had. There was probably a lot of quilting in your futures. Though if she wants to discreetly reprise some of her favourite maidly duties, you wouldn't say no.
     
    [X] Lady's Companion - She said it herself. She wants this, desperately, but she is scared. You should reassure her, offer her comfort, help her be who she wants to be, rather than what they made her to be. And… it's not like there weren't productive tasks to be had. There was probably a lot of quilting in your futures. Though if she wants to discreetly reprise some of her favourite maidly duties, you wouldn't say no.
     
    [X] Maid - Marie seems happy to maintain the fiction of simply being your maid, after all, and thinking on it, your objections were made without a full understanding of how she thought. It's a simple enough falsehood to maintain together, isn't it? Such a deception might even bring you closer together, and you don't think you'd much complain about that at all.
     
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    [X] Maid - Marie seems happy to maintain the fiction of simply being your maid, after all, and thinking on it, your objections were made without a full understanding of how she thought. It's a simple enough falsehood to maintain together, isn't it? Such a deception might even bring you closer together, and you don't think you'd much complain about that at all.
     
    [X] Lady's Companion - She said it herself. She wants this, desperately, but she is scared. You should reassure her, offer her comfort, help her be who she wants to be, rather than what they made her to be. And… it's not like there weren't productive tasks to be had. There was probably a lot of quilting in your futures. Though if she wants to discreetly reprise some of her favourite maidly duties, you wouldn't say no.

    I feel like Maid fits better for a Shy or Thoughtful Marie, who would be happiest maintaining the comfortable fiction to enable the truth behind it, while Companion is more suited to a Witty or Bold Marie, where keeping a servant's deference for the sake of propriety would chafe.

    Sometimes, you just need to let the snark out.
     
    [X] Lady's Companion - She said it herself. She wants this, desperately, but she is scared. You should reassure her, offer her comfort, help her be who she wants to be, rather than what they made her to be. And… it's not like there weren't productive tasks to be had. There was probably a lot of quilting in your futures. Though if she wants to discreetly reprise some of her favourite maidly duties, you wouldn't say no.

    At the end of the day, this suits her attitude more. But it's likely Marie will drive herself to fits finding things to do.
    She'll be at wits end one way or another, though; might as well ensure she can at least act as she wants.
     
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