Gloucester

With a few knocks on the bedroom door, Gloucester stands patiently outside while she waits for you to answer. After two more knocks with no reply, she checks her watch with a sigh of mild irritation. "Master. It's well past time you got up," she remarks through the door. With still no reply, she creaks it open and slides inside.

"Just as I thought..." she mumbles to herself when it becomes apparent you're still sound asleep. Having pulled the trolley of morning tea and fresh clothes inside with her, she tightly shuts the bedroom door and strides over to the curtains, thrusting them open. "Come along now, Master," she remarks, pacing back to the edge of the bed as daylight floods the bedroom. "Waking up this late in the morning is unacceptable."

Gloucester lingers close by the side of your desk as you work together on the office tasks for the afternoon. She watches you carefully, keeping a track of your work and ensuring you don't neglect your well-being by ignoring drinks or food. Watching you file away the latest reports, Gloucester's eyes narrow on the slight difference in colour of the tab.

"Master, that document is misfiled," she remarks efficiently, sliding her hand beneath yours to pluck the offending paper from the folder. "See? Sardegna Empire, not Sakura Empire." She places the outstanding document to the side to ensure it doesn't get confused again. Filing incorrect reports for the wrong factions would only cause hiccups down the line. "Must I stand over your shoulder for every page?" she chastises, although the playful tones of her voice are unmistakable.

The fur shawl around Gloucester's neck provides a comforting warmth against the winter chill. Her dark and floral flowing dress brushes against her ankles slightly, a tickling sensation that she tries her best to ignore: her maid dress is much shorter, but those Dragon Empery girls simply insisted on dressing her up in such oriental attire.

Holding the fur shawl securely with one hand, her other reaches out to steady herself on your forearm before she can stop herself. "Stay close, Master. These shoes are hardly suitable for walking across uneven stone." Snow crunches underfoot as the two of you leisurely walk through the traditional, eastern gardens that fill the Empery section of port. "...You keep staring," Gloucester remarks, clearly paying attention to your eyes. "Compose yourself. We are outside, not in the privacy of the office." Wearing a fancy, eastern outfit like this was not something she anticipated to indulge in, but those pesky Empery girls simply insisted. Besides, she couldn't deny the warmth inside her that looking pretty around you gave her. A very pleasant warmth, considering the wintery chill.

Having noted your inability to focus lately, Gloucester has taken it upon herself to train you, albeit in her own, unique way. She made sure to get you on an afternoon when you have nothing else planned and nowhere else to be, providing no excuse for escape. "Eyes on me, Master," she demands. "No - my eyes, not anywhere else." The order is already a hard one to follow: Gloucester is sporting an incredibly risqué outfit that amounts to a tight, latex bra and matching thigh highs that cling to her legs, topped off with a pair of black stiletto heels and a short whip between her hands.

"Your work ethic is appalling," she reprimands, tilting your chin up slightly with the tip of her whip. "Which is why I will train you. Now, work." She gestures to the array of pending documents spread across the desk. "You are not permitted to stop, stare and definitely not touch." It's clear her choice of alluring outfit was picked specifically to tempt, making her 'training' all the more difficult.

Gloucester finds you still at your desk long after hours, although it comes as more of a disappointment than a surprise. She steps into the office quietly, gently shutting the door behind her. "Master..." she begins, her voice much softer than usual as she approaches your side. "The candles are burning low, and so are you."

She rests her hand on your shoulder in reassurance, letting you know that she isn't leaving any time soon. "You may protest, but I'm not leaving your side until..." She hesitates for a moment, thinking about at which point she'd be satisfied. Upon realising she doesn't have an answer to that question, she blushes slightly. "Well, until I say so." Her hand on your shoulder tightens slightly. Protest as you may, Gloucester is adamant that she will not leave your side.

The fireplace gently crackles away in the background, providing a soothing background to your reading and making the atmosphere in the living room cosy and inviting. Belfast knits beside the fire Gloucester keeps a keen eye on you in your chair, pretending to busy herself with various minor tasks. The sight of you relaxed with a book open in your lap fills Belfast and Gloucester alike with a sense of happiness, although Gloucester manages to suppress her smile more so than Belfast.

Unable to resist the urge, Gloucester steps over and places a hand on your back, guiding your posture to be straighter. "Master, slouching while reading will do your back no favours," Gloucester remarks, her hand lingering for a moment too long on your back. When Belfast quietly giggles into her knitting, Gloucester shoots her a pointed yet flustered look. "I-I am not fussing… I am ensuring efficiency in comfort, nothing more," she insists, although she can feel herself blushing hard.