Droplets sprang from the ceiling, raining on my face. I squinted up, attempting to see where it came from. Shaking my head, I gave up, excited just to be clean. I sighed, soaking up every soothing drop. I don’t know how it was possible, but the water here actually felt softer.
Once I was completely soaked through and I’d freed my long hair from its braid, I looked around for soaps and other cleaning tools. I should have known. At this thought, the water changed, turning soapy and emitting a fragrant berry aroma. A panel in the wall slid open to reveal an aqua poof. I’d figured out this world far quicker than anticipated. I finished washing as quickly as possible.
Scrubbed clean, I shut off the water and the glass slid open. I stepped out onto the tiles into the warm room and looked around for a towel. Nothing. Naked and wet, I hopped on the spot for a minute before a gentle breeze wafted through the room.
I looked around in alarm, searching for the breach of my area. But I was alone. The breeze continued and, as the puddle under my feet disappeared, I realized what was happening. Within seconds I was dry. Even my hair was wavy and frizz-free. That breeze had sucked up any excess moisture in the room. Once again I was struck by the strangeness of my life. But, for some reason, it just didn’t feel that extraordinary to me. I probably should book in some time later for a major breakdown.
Alright, time to find some clothes and get out of here.
I had no robe but I figured my room would be empty. I was wrong. Smashing into something solid, I let out a painful yelp. Immediately recognizing the dark hair that flew in my face, I mentally cringed. My face felt burning hot as mortification suffocated me.
Brace spun at the last minute, so I landed on top of him. Butt-ass naked? Holy mother of... Why do these things happen to me?
He jumped to his feet, trying to dislodge me. But for some reason my instincts had decided, the tighter I held on, the less of my naked body he could see. In my own innocence, I wasn’t really thinking about the fact my naked body was plastered to his.
“This is a little awkward, Red.”
He’d stopped trying to dislodge me and was now pointedly staring at the ceiling. “Do you think maybe you could let me go now? It’s getting a little warm over here.”
I burst into laughter. My body shook so hard that Brace managed to pry himself free. Eyes still averted, he sucked in a deep breath, although the smallest smile played on his lips. “As difficult as this is right now, I’m going to go. Before Josian kills me and then reincarnates me to kill me again.”
That was an interesting thought. I wondered if he could really do that. Brace smoothly set me aside. He made it as far as the door before I saw his eyes flick back in my direction. Shaking his head, he quickly turned away again and exited the room.
What was he doing in my room?
I looked down at my nakedness – laughter burst from me again. I was literally gasping for breath. Lucy would die when she heard this. Shaking off the mirth and shame, I entered my dressing room.
“Oh, hell yeah!”
It was brightly lit, a large chandelier, the center piece, casting soft shadows. Built-in wardrobes lined the walls, and clothes hung everywhere. Walking deeper into the room, I paused – the entire back wall was dedicated to shoes – each displayed in its own little cubby. I stopped counting at fifty pairs. It took effort, although not as massive as Lucy’s would be, but I dragged myself from the shoes and continued toward the back where there were floor-to-ceiling drawers and little nooks.
I opened the first drawer. Panties, in every color and style. I picked up a scrap of lace that seemed to be missing most of the back part. Luckily there were plenty of other styles. I grabbed a pair of lacy ‘boy-leg’ panties in a bright turquoise green. I found a matching bra in the next drawer. Everything was my size. How Lallielle knew that was beyond me. With underwear taken care of, I now had to find something to wear amongst the thousands of clothes. I needed comfortable, easy to run in.
Moving with determination, I perused the imposing row of clothes. The first section was long formal dresses, the next shorter cocktail dresses. Who in the world would need this many evening dresses? You’d have to attend an event once a week.
Further along I paused at a large section of jeans. Flicking through, I grabbed a gorgeous pair, dark denim with numerous ripped sections covered in a purple lace. The material was softer than I expected. It didn’t feel like denim. Pulling them on and zipping them up, I found they fitted perfectly. Dream-weaving wasn’t Lallielle’s only skill. I found a pair of to-die-for, tight, over-the-knee boots. They were soft black leather and worlds away from my old pair in the bathroom. They had a couple of silver buckles running up the side.