"I think I'll lend a hand... y'know... Since they are in need..."

4th Litordae, 25th day of the month of Semens (Sem), the 3672nd year of Salvation's Landing

Grinning widely yet again, Lim just raised a hand in farewell as he turned to continue along the perimeter of the estate, toward the equestrian fields, "Alright, Reg. But know this. This leniency we're showing you today is just so you can get to know the rest of the staff we work with!" the last bit was even louder than normal so it may carry to him as he and Boll had already carried on.

"I understand, and thank you!" Reglin yelled back at the two before turning around to face the laundresses. "Ok, since I'm the new guy... Sort of... I guess I get a little bit of slack. You said you are shorthanded. What can I do to assist?" Reglin tried to offer his most winning smile, not sure if such a thing was in his repertoire. Given both of the ladies' returned smiles, it seemed he did well enough.

Lina watched him for a moment before turning to look at Asha and her bundle. Giving a nod toward to younger woman, "Why don't you give our young Asha here a hand. The sheets are cumbersome to get onto the line with only one pair of hands. I can continue to wash and rinse in here." She turned to regard the inside of the builing. There must be sinks and tubs inside, but Reglin had never been inside.

"I can do that. I defer to you in regard to how I can best serve." Reglin turned toward Asha and noticed that her eyes were cast down once again and there was color in cheeks. 'Maybe she's colored from effort?' So Reglin hurried over and looked to offer to carry the burden. "Here. Please allow me!" His arms coming up to encircle the bundle in his arms.

Startled out of her silent reverie, Asha jumped slightly, "Oh! Oh yes! Thank you. There is a basket under all this... You'll have to grab the handles." raising the basket up. In the exchange, it was impossible for their hands to not touch. Reglin had removed his gauntlets in order to reduce any kind of staining or tearing they might have caused in the handling of the delicates. And as such, he was able to feel her hands, albeit briefly. They were soft. Softer than expected, given the work of laundress. He thought that working with all the water would have dried them out. His brows raised ever so in surprise and he said without thinking, "Soft..." as he took hold of the basket.

The shade of Asha's face deepened even more at that, looking down at her hands, "Oh! Yes... That. As you probably know, this work does do a bit of a number on our poor skin. So, when Lina and the others spoke to staff about any possible aid in helping the condition, the Magistricia offered up a cream of her creation to use after our shifts." She rubs her hands over one another absentmindedly, "It really does help." Her face came up to look Reglin in the eyes, and in her own Reglin saw resolve take hold and then a smile, "Here. Feel..." And she brushed her right hand's palm against his cheek, followed by flipping it over and running the back of her hand against the other cheek. The resolve faltered just a bit, but she maintained eye contact.

There was no other way to take this than as some seriously flirting on her part, Reglin thought. And he would never be so rude as to make such a lovely girl feel left out on the hanger. Reglin tried to summon up that confidence he had just earlier with Tabitha and smiled again at Asha, "Your hands feel lovely, Asha. Though I doubt that the cream you speak of is the reason for it..." His voice was lower in volume in hopes of not embarrassing Asha, or himself in front of Lina, but it also made the words seem a bit more romantic than was his intention. He shrugged inwardly and just hoped he wasn't taken at too forward.

Asha's eyes narrowed as she looked him the eyes, a smirk on her lips. though the color in the cheeks still betrayed more, "The new guardsman is quite the charmer, it seems. I may have to warn some of the other girls about you..." She copied a pose unconsciously that Lina had used and brought her index finger over her lips in thought. "Yes, you may prove troublesome..."

The pregnant pause reminded Reglin of proprieties, "Oh Gods, my manners... I apologize. Reglin Farmstedt. I would offer a true greeting, but..." He nodded down to the basket.

It was Asha's turned to be a bit mortified, "Oh dear, yes. Let's take care of that. Bring it over here." and she turned to walk toward the closest post buried in the earth.

Reglin followed her closely, watching her hips sway as she walked. The working skirts and blouses were not the most flattering of garments, but Reglin thought that she had lovely hips and a waist that tapered in noticeably even under the somewhat bulky blouse. All in all, Reglin might enjoy following Asha around more in the future. Staring at her backside, he did was caught unawares as she quickly turned.

"Here, you can... Ummm..." those cheeks of hers flushed more so than ever when she realized what Reglin had been looking at.

In full abashedness, Reglin's face bore shock, "I-I'm sorry if I offend...But..." he tried to quiet down the embarrassment, giving himself a moment before putting down the basket and raising a hand to regard the area behind Asha, "But it is quite sight, mistress... I would have to be blind or dead to not see." Reglin realized too late that he was not helping with her own embarrassment however and just said, "... Sorry..."

To her credit, Asha recovered rather quickly and just shook her head with that smirk, "I'm afraid I WILL have to warn the other young, **** maidens in the palace of you, Mister Farmstedt." At that, she offered her hand out in the traditional lady-like fashion, fingers closed with her knuckles up and soft bend in her wrist, "Asha Hommen..."

Trying his best to recover from his own awkwardness, Reglin approached her quickly but then slowed down so as to not come across as brutish. He took her hand in his and lowered his head to it. Bringing his lips to her soft skin, he pressed them a bit more into her hand than is protocol, but he was rewarded with a small squeal of a noise that come from Asha, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mistress Hommen." his lowered volume and soft tones may have been layered with a bit of the romantic sound intentionally this time, as opposed to earlier, "Now, let me help you with these..." He had let go of her hand and nodded to the basket.

Asha stood there for a moment before she had to clear her throat. Reglin was hoping that he had put his best foot forward with the laundress. She seemed a capable person and one that he wouldn't mind getting to know more, "... Yes, well... Yes... Let's get these up. I do not want take up all of your time, since you were so kind as to help. Out of the sheer goodness of your heart, with no ulterior motives at all, I'm sure." The smirk had returned as she bent down and grabbed a corner of a sheet and offered it and some clothesline pins to Reglin.

Take the pins and the offered corner, Reglin shook his head with a rueful smile, "None at all, mistress..." and he walked to stretch out the sheet for hanging. The two of them continued to make small talk as they hung the linens, sharing stories of themselves, with Reglin learning that she lived in the city with her family, and sharing the story of his family out on the fields out the west a bit. They talked of interests and she inquired a bit about his time out on the Western Marches.

When all the sheets were up on line, Asha gave a sigh of relief to a job done, stretching her back. Over the bit of time they had spent talking, she seemed to have gotten over her initial bashfulness and turns to Reglin, "Would you like a little water?" She gestures over to the building.

Reglin looks over at the stone structure and nods with a smile, "That sounds great, thank you." He puts his arm up and nods, intimating the old custon of 'Lady's first' as his other arm goes around her back, giving her the lightest of touches as she moves toward the entrance. As they start to walk back, Asha turns her head to see Reglin's gaze once more taking in her form from the rear, but this time she gives a cunning little smile making him not feel so bad. 'Is it just my imagination, or has the sway of hips increased?'"Before we get back, I want to ask..."

Turning around, Asha's brows raise, her face inquisitive, "Oh? What would you like to ask?" The mischievous look that Reglin thought he saw in her initially is more apparent now.

"I was wondering, you live in the city and I haven't been here in some time. Would you mind showing me around some of the areas close to palace some evening?" Reglin was continuously trying to keep that feeling of confidence from earlier. He did not want to come across sheepish. It was time to start things anew.

The mischievous smile changed into one of genuine warmth, "I think I would like that... Perhaps dinner?" She looked quite lovely even in her palace service garb.

Nodding eagerly at the notion, "Oh yes. Dinner would be nice indeed. It would be the least I could offer to a beautiful lady offering to help familiarize a newcomer to the city. And perhaps show how she might have a good time?" His own smile may have looked a bit impish to Asha.

Asha gave a small laugh, covering her mouth with her hand, "Oh, and beautiful lady, eh? I am afraid I am still going to have to warn the other girls of your roguish intentions." Her hazel eyes glittered with mirth, "Maybe tomorrow evening? I don't want to be unladylike and appear eager, but I have the following day off is all..."

Reglin's smile split into a wide grin, "I would never think such a thing of you." Though he chose to joke a bit more, "Why would I think that, given that we have known each other just a half hour now?" The two of them could not seem to stop smiling in some fashion or another. Whether smirking, nervous, or just genuine happiness, both of them wore one on their faces for the last half hour.

Giving Reglin a playful shove at the notion that she may in fact, be acting unladylike and ironically acting unladylike, she laughed again. She then gave Reglin the time and place to meet her in the city. A pub by the name of 'The Blackened Kettle' at the sixth bell. Reglin committed that to memory, repeating it silently in his head over and over again before Asha motioned him further on, "Come on. Let's get something to drink."

Lina came out the doorway as they approached, "I was wondering what was taking so long? You two get caught up in those sheets perhaps?" And with that, Asha's bashfulness returned in full bloom, cheeks instantly rosy, "No! We were just acquainting ourselves with each other... I mean, just talking." Asha gave an exasperated sigh, "Not all of us are so quick for a romp, Lina..."

Producing her own teasing smile, Lina poked at Asha again, "Oh? Well, I pity the lad then. Perhaps you should take some queues from me with this one, girl." Now both Asha and Reglin were doing their impressions of ripened cherries, giving Lina all the entertainment she could ask for, "Oh you two! Reg, come on. I got some honeycakes for us. Lim can bugger off with his attitude today. Plus, I noticed that he's on his last belt hole... He could use a break from my sweets."

Reglin ate a couple of cakes and drank a cup of water with the two laundresses, continuing their small talk and getting to know what has been going on with the palace servants in his years he was gone. It was nice and relaxing for him, but it was about time to get a move on. He made is farewells by giving each of them gentlemanly kisses on the top of their hands. An audible inhalation by Asha when he kissed hers made Lina giggle until he gave Lina's hand a kiss and she produced her own tiny noise in response.

Then Reglin was off, though he walked a bit slow as her heard the girls talking and overheard Asha say something along the lines of, "... most peculiar sensations... but nice..." Reglin's seeming eternal smile continued as he followed the perimeter some more.

~This is knowledge for the Reader~

The Affection Multiplier

~Mana: 347~
~Mana Channels: ~Labiae Passionii (Lips of Passion)

~Tabitha~ Affectionae: 78 Erosii: 12 Libidae: 10
~Lim~ A: 24 (+1) 25
~Boll~ A: 13
~Grahm~ A: 26
~Lina~ A : 24 (+4) 28
~Asha~ A: 8 (+14) 22 E: (+1) 1 L: (+1) 1