FSE

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Grace's house, beyond all else, was silent. While it was quite well decorated, not a sound permeated through the halls. An inherited house for a family of sixteen left to a single doe meant that little of the rooms actually saw use. The storied wealth of her family showed, and while some small part of her worried that Gwyn would steal something the other part... well, it didn't care. What was another jewel when she had thousands?

Currently, the two had quite a bit of distance between them. Grace cooked as promised - eggs, pancakes, waffles, and all manners of fruit. It'd been quite a while since she'd actually bothered to make anything real. Most of the time, it would be something quick for herself after work, right before she passed out in bed. A shameful waste of such a bright and open kitchen, all the well stocked food going to waste on her. How many times must she tell the servants to bring less?

Gwyn, on the other hand, took her own sweet time. Naturally, Grace hadn't taken the girl to her own personal bathroom, but she had gotten her set up in one of the many guest ones. A warm shower, some soft towels, a new coat, everything that she'd promised would be provided without a worry. Besides, Grace couldn't blame her for taking longer than her own showers. Anything longer than a spare minute or so would be too much for the rising orchestral star and with how long it seemed that Gwyn had gone without a shower, she clearly needed it.

Unfortunately, it left Grace to brood, to think. Why exactly had she done this? Sympathy, sure. Gwyn definitely could garner some sympathy. Those eyes of hers, that tiny frame, that mangled hand spoke of an ewe that needed attention and her own care. Grace couldn't profess to give all of those - she couldn't fix the constant fear, nor the broken hand, but the malnutrition? Maybe she could help with that a bit.

Or perhaps, Grace lied to herself. This wasn't altruism, Grace didn't have that kind of certainty in her heart. Gwyn actually talked to her like a person. Gwyn didn't know who she was. Grace had long since grown tired of people knowing her name, only talking to her because they wanted a piece of her fortune, her fame. Gwyn did none of that, which meant her interactions were all the more pure.

Grace hoped so, at least. If she listened especially intently, she could just barely hear the sound of a shower running, the water flowing from the tap. Another person in the house. It'd been so long since she'd had another person in the house that didn't exist simply to serve her. How long had that been? A year? Maybe two? The orchestra devoured her time like a hungry monster, leaving her none of her own. Her coworkers were bloodthirsty, cutthroat, hardly the type of company Grace wanted to associate herself with. But that was the business - one had to be in order to advice and move on. Grace didn't see it the same way, but one person alone couldn't enact an entire culture change.

In the meantime, however, she could focus on that shower sound. Not alone, for the first time in so long. It brought a smile to her muzzle, a real one, not the same one she plastered on for years upon years. The more she thought about it, the more pathetic it seemed. She was so overjoyed about a homeless person using her shower. What a silly notion, one that a few years ago would seem alien.

The shower stopped, leaving Grace among her silence again. She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of the prepared breakfast. She'd left it out as a spread, two place settings the only parts of the long, oaken table in use. Food covered the middle, whatever Gwyn and herself wanted to choose from.

Grace didn't have to wait long in her spot. The sound of hooves against hardwood rang out all the closer, growing ever near until they stopped. Grace turned, catching sight of a rather uncomfortable looking Gwyn. Her long, black hair, still wet, clung to her head and neck, the poor thing looking all the more thin with her wool pushed down by water. One of Grace's fluffy, pink bathrobes covered the rest of her, though Grace could see the different already - the little fluff she could see was a pure, snow white rather than the gray it'd been on the streets. Her hair wasn't matted into a mess either, no longer so tangled and matted. Honestly, Gwyn looked downright cute like that, but perhaps Grace's desperation colored her thoughts.

The smaller woman tried to smile, a crooked, perpetually teasing thing that showed just a bit too many teeth. "Yo," she started, voice cracking a bit from the word. "So, uh, you've got a nice shower. Really warm water and all," she began.

Grace couldn't help but feel amusement well up in her chest. Any remaining doubts for her cause evaporated under those words. Gwyn was no smooth operator, no career criminal. Just a scared, homeless ewe. That, Grace could deal with.

She smiled a little wider and gestured towards the seat across from herself. "It's a nice shower. My parents were quite big on refurbishment before their passing. Please, take a seat and help yourself," she offered.

As if Gwyn had been wound like a bow ready to launch - the second Grace said those words, Gwyn practically exploded around the edge of the table, scurrying towards the seat and pulling herself into it. Her hands, both the healthy one and the mangled one, heaped great portions of essentially everything onto her plate. In sharp contrast, Grace took a more methodical approach, getting little bit of her favorite things rather than everything. A small pancake, a few strawberries, so very little compared to the great heap.

Silverware clinked, but Gwyn wouldn't let the silence reign for long. Even with a big bite of food smacking away in her jaws, she started to speak again. "So!" she began, swallowing hard. "What happened to your parents anyways? This their place?" she asked. She didn't even give Grace enough time to answer it before shoveling more another bite in her muzzle. Grace would've sworn it was half a pancake in one bite.

A small napkin dabbed at Grace's muzzle. She didn't truly have anything on there, but it was good manners, clean and refined. "They passed five years ago, unfortunately. Since then, the house has essentially been mine, as there are no other claimants to it. My family goes back for many generations," she explained. A curious feeling passed through Grace, a desire to know more. "And yours? You aren't home. You aren't living with them. What happened?"

Gwyn actually stopped eating. The fork that'd started to be raised up to her mouth stopped, lowering to rest back down instead. "We aren't on good terms," Gwyn answered. The light that had sparked in her eyes from the shower, the nice food, died, puffed out in a single second. "There really isn't much to it. We had some disagreements, so I left. Just couldn't stand being around them, I guess." Gwyn finished, shrugging. She shoved the fork up, silencing herself.

Grace expected that. Either dead or a gulf of hatred. Gwyn didn't seem very forthcoming with the reason why, which Grace could hardly blame her for. Estranged parents rather than dead ones were something at least.

"Oh, sure, sure," Grace soothed. She let the silence hold for a few seconds, the both of them enjoying their food. Grace, despite the opulence and the business, actually could cook quite well. "So, dear, how old are you anyways?" she asked.

"Easy one," Gwyn smacked, "Nineteen. How about you? You some old predator doe looking for a young nubile ewe?" she asked, waggling her eyebrows.

That earned a giggle from Grace. Even her laugh had been trained to be cultured, restrained, attractive rather than showing any pure joy. It was something that Grace had an awareness of but couldn't help.

"Twenty five," she answered, cheeks slightly flushed. "And no. I am scarcely some predator," she excused, waving a hand in the air with dismissal. What a foolish thought. A cleaned up Gwyn certainly had her attractive qualities, but a homeless ewe didn't exactly have a lot to offer.

Clearly, the answer didn't satisfy Gwyn. She raised an eyebrow instead, leaning a bit closer across the table, showing off those brilliant blue eyes. "Oh really? Why did you want me to come over to your house then? Wear your clothes? Use your shower?" she pressed, all good questions, all questions that Grace either couldn't or wouldn't answer.

The refined doe shuffled in her chair, moving back and forth to get comfortable. She straightened her coat's collar and breathed in a calming breath. "Because I was curious," she finally answered. The truth, but not the whole truth. "You're young and nearly any homeless woman moves around. Those that don't find a place to stay within a few months are even more rare. Why, I've heard of people simply being taken in by strangers who could. But you haven't yet, and you haven't moved from your same corner or gotten a job. So why haven't you done any of that? I even remember feeding you before. I've given you bits and food, even taken you to a diner and paid for what you wanted, though I didn't have the time to stay and talk. Is there something else going on?" Grace asked, her green eyes boring into her new companion. Still, Grace couldn't help but feel a little defensive. She supposed her attitude thus far had been strange.

Gywn frowned. She frowned deep, like she had back on that cold street corner. "Long story, G do you mind if I call you G?" Gwun wouldn't give her a chance to respond before pressing on, "basically, can't get a job. Not many people really like to look at the hand, you know. Got some other stuff going on, but it is what it is, right?" she asked, offering that half cocked smile again.

It didn't reach those eyes of hers. It didn't reach the rest of her face. That wasn't everything. "What's the other stuff? I understand living like that must be difficult. I can't imagine actually choosing it," Grace pressed. She matched Gwyn look with one of her own. At this point, Gwyn almost felt like a puzzle that Grace needed to figure out, some way to pick it apart. Something was desperately wrong here.

Gwun rubbed at one of her shoulders unsteadily, glancing off to the right. "Hey, G, this has been great and all, but I really have to go," the ewe excused herself. She stood from the chair, working off the bath robe, tossing it onto the chair. Oh. She'd already put some of her clothes back on underneath it. Grace had expected nudity, thank the Goddesses one of them had thought ahead. "I've got... you know, stuff to do. Got a place to be," Gwyn went on. Her tone was easy, relaxed, but they were such obvious lies.

Grace thought of anything to say to make her stay. Something about the food? No. Somehow, Gwyn had managed to finish damned near all of her plate. Grace frowned, unable to help herself. She wanted to know more, but even more so, didn't want to overstep her bounds.

"Oh, yes, of course, Miss Gwyn," she soothed. "Please, allow me to help you get your things-"

Gwyn cut her off. "Oh, thanks, but I got it, G. Don't you worry, I've got everything together in the lobby. Gotta go, bye!" Gwyn yipped out. She disappeared behind the door before Grace could say anything else.

Grace could hear the retreating footsteps. She could hear Gwyn hurrying towards the exit. She closed her eyes and steepled her hands together, resting them against her forehead. The steps got quieter and quieter, getting ever closer to the outside. She could hear the front door, a big, wooden thing, open, then close again.

Only then did she let out a long breath. Darned curiosity. Too far and too fast. The denial only made her mind hunger all the more. The little white ewe would be the death of her at this rate. She simply had to know.