How did I get here? (Mdu_ntr)

[Anonymous]

"n-no sir" Louhi said, a bit nervously, which caused her to cast a wary glance at the lights to make sure they weren't flickering. "I was simply distracted by my questions. I apologize." She took that opportunity to slide off the bed enough to retrieve her stick and get both feet on the floor. She obediently took the juice and drank about half of it before replacing it on the side table and awkwardly making her way to the bathroom. Thankfully, she had experience with at least semi-modern bathrooms, or things would perhaps be very confusing after using nothing but an outhouse.

She was brief, taking care of her needs and washing quickly, attempting to tame her hair enough to keep it from looking too wild, not wanting to cause him any shame. She had learned that appearance seemed to matter more the further forward in time you went. Within just a few minutes, she returned to her juice and her cot, finishing her breakfast and juice. She didn't want to cause him any delays, but now, she was watching him with uncertain stormcloud-grey eyes. She had displeased him and he had called her foolish. Drawing up quivering courage, she collected her dishes and mimicked his actions of putting them into the dishwasher. She had not really used one before, though she had seen one.

Her gait was awkward and a little uncertain, her injured leg seeming to search for a solid position before she could put her weight down on it, much like a person attempting to walk after cutting off the circulation to a leg by sitting on it until it loses all feeling.

Finished with the task of putting dishes away, she simply stood in silence. He'd said they were going to go somewhere that morning, and she was prepared to go whenever he was, having no tasks so far to be attempting to finish, and no recreational activities she took part in, that left simply waiting and hoping that wouldn't anger him further. Already she seemed to have a knack for upsetting him.

[Anonymous]

Thanael ate his breakfast while the mage busied herself with hygiene. By the time she stood still, he had finished. She seemed so awkward standing there. He hadn't done anything to warrant such fear in her. She had even looked up at the lights at one stage. He was glad that she hadn't broken them since the drug had worn off. If need be, he would give her another injection but he didn't want to resort to that. He wanted her to get comfortable with her powers and learn to control them.

He placed his dirty dishes with the others in the dishwasher. 'Louhi, come here. I am going to show you how to use the dishwasher. Have you ever seen one?' he asked, though he doubted she ever had. He stood beside the machine and closed its door, ready to instruct her on one of the many machines she would be using.

[Anonymous]

"I have seen one, but not used it" She admitted, coming closer where she could see what he was showing her. In her experience, she had to pay very close attention so she would understand the first time around. Masters that had to repeatedly teach her things got irritated quickly. She knew that much.

He himself had not done anything to warrent her fear, at least not yet, but it took her a little time to get a feel for exactly what he expected of her, and until then, she was constantly in danger of failing to meet expectations and that alone was enough to make her nervous.

[Anonymous]

It came as a relief to Thanael that Louhi had seen a dishwasher before, it meant she might have less trouble getting used to it. he opened a drawer nest to the washer and pulled out a little tablet then placed it in a slot on the from of the machine. 'This tablet is the washing detergent, you put it in after the machine is closed then press these buttons,' he said as he slowly showed her what to do. When the machine started up it hummed softly, not like the noisy ones from previous centuries. 'Do you think you can do that? I will watch you do it next time the machine is full then you will be doing it on your own.'

'Come, I have to get to the training rooms to work out. If you still think you want to come, there is a brush on one of the bathroom bench. You may use that until you have your own,' said Thanael before rising and going to groom himself. It didn't take long, it was only enough so that he would look acceptable to work out in.

[Anonymous]

Louhi watched closely, her eyes trailing his every motion with utmost attention. She would master his machines, and master them quickly. "Yes Sir, I do believe I can do that" She said agreeably.

As he mentioned a brush, her hand crept up to her tangled hair. "Thank you" She said, skirting off with her awkward walk to get herself slightly more groomed. Somehow, she suspected she was going to have her hair lopped off, and that wasn't exactly a pleasant through for her, but she was willing to accept it. After all, how were they going to attach a thing to her head with her hair remaining. Hopefully, this culture did not covet hair as her own had. A woman's hair was an important attribute.

She was finished within moments, not taking the time to be gentle, instead rushing through the tangles to ensure she did not hold him up. Thankfully, she was not particularly tender-headed.

She came to stand near her cot, just waiting. She had to get used to walking around on her leg at some point. She didn't think it could be worse than some of her bad days had been.

[Anonymous]

Thanael checked Louhi's hair from where he stood and nodded. 'It will do for now. You will be showering when we get back anyway, I suppose,' he said before turning and walking to the door.

'Come,' he said as he opened the door. 'I need to adjust the lock to your fingerprints.'

Thanael lifted the lid on some blue, sparkly, glue-like material on the outside of the door and placed his fingers in it. The semi-solid glowed as it scanned. 'Master Sergeant Thanael Harbour. Create new profile. Unbound mage-slave,' he instructed the mechanism. 'Louhi, what is your full name, date of birth and a word that only you and I would remember?'

[Anonymous]

"Louhi...Daughter of Laurel...servant of Madam Mathews?" She attempted, seeming somewhat confused. "Born July 12th, 1682, I think." She was starting to blush. These were things she was apparently supposed to know quite well, but really, who cared when a servant was born, just so long as they were fit enough to work? "Well, I imagine the words I know are nothing so special so no one else would know them" Or at least none she dared to say. She did know a couple words of rather nasty rare incantations due to her stint with the murdering mad-man-warlock. "But I did once see a fascinating creature called an octopus...I get the impression it is quite extinct now, so would something like that do?" She asked. Passwords were not something she had encountered, at least not in this sense. He was asking her somewhat strange questions she did not know the answers to, but maybe knowing the year she was born would help him understand just how far she had already come in her understanding of modern machines and functions.

[Anonymous]

'That is... not quite what I was expecting. You are no longer the servant of Madam Mathews. Unless my superiours find a reason why you cannot work, you will be under my command by this afternoon,' Thanael said as he removed his hand fromt he glue-like substance. 'Come up to the resin pad and place your hand in the blue then repeat what I say, in the order that I say it. Say it as normally as you can. If it does not work you will have to repeat it and the program will find your average vocals.'

Thanael turned back to the mechanism and spoke, 'start vocal and imprint recognition for Louhi, Daughter of Laurel. Date of birth one two zero seven one six eight two. Password octopus.'

Her choice of password and her date of birth interested him. He hadn't expected her to come from that far back. He wondered how long she had been moving through time for and what she had seen during her journey. There was a lot the military would be able to learn from her. It might impede his chances of keeping her.

[Anonymous]

"Well, no, I'm not, but my mother is...or was I guess." She admitted, so it was still part of her full title, but she didn't argue. "I hope I am fit to be under your command"She didn't much want to end up under the command of some random person. Getting used to new masters wore her down. It was difficult to know how to keep them happy.

She obediently repeated what he said with her fingers in the strange blue stuff that made her feel nervous.

She stood watching, waiting. Maybe this was like a security system. Her friend had had one. She'd had to type in a code so no one else could come into the house. That seemed reasonable enough, this was just the advanced version of it.

[Anonymous]

'It is more that they may find another use for you. Your knowledge of other languages and history could come in very useful to others. They may also want your abilities tested before putting you into service,' Thanael explained. He didn't particularly like the idea of the mage being tested. She didn't yet have enough control on her powers. Anything they tested might backfire like the machine in the hospital had. He would prefer to observe her himself then file a report later.

'That was your key to get into my apartment. Do not forget what you said or how you said it, otherwise you will be locked in or out until I can come to you. If that happens I will help you when I am ready, not when you want me to.' Hopefully that prompted her to remember her passwords. It would deplete her usefulness if he couldn't rely on her to get in and out of his rooms.

Thanael started walking towards the gym without checking to see if Louhi was following. He did, however walk at a slower pace than he normally would. He didn't want her to put much strain on her leg so soon after her operation.

[Anonymous]

"Yes, Sir" Louhi said. She didn't like the way it sounded, being found for another use. She didn't think she really knew all that much. She had been through time, but she didn't think she'd grasped it all that well. She hadn't understood half of what happened to her, and without her friend there to explain things, she probably would have spent her stay in 'modern' time running away from automobiles, or rather, hobbling since the first one had hit her and broken her leg again.

She carefully filed the password information away in her head, letting it repeat several times to ensure it stayed there and she could recall it as needed.

She scampered after him, falling in a couple paces behind him. She was glad he'd had the forsight to walk a little slower than usual, though she would have kept up with him in any case.

She suspected he was finished talking for the time being, and simply followed in silence, trying to keep the password fresh in her head while also taking note of the things around them. No need to be lost incase she got sent back to the rooms, or out to the training fields on a future day.

[Anonymous]

When they got to the gym Thanael stopped and turned to Louhi, ushering her to follow him inside. He looked at her leg. It was still scarred but hopefully it was't causing her any displeasure. 'You seem to be walking better already. How does it feel?' he asked.

From what he'd seen of her, Louhi was fearful of showing her legs. It was possible that she was also awkward with seeing others without full attire. 'If you feel uncomfortable you can go back to the apartment or sit and wait with any of the other mages. If their masters permit it, you may speak with them.'

[Anonymous]

It wasn't so unusual for people of her time to help each other dress...though mostly a select few helped to dress the mistress of the house. It was simply considered indecent to run around half naked, legs poking out everywhere.

"It does not hurt" Louhi assured "but it will take some getting used to. It seems to respond a little more slowly than the other." She figured that would pass in time, though why she thought that, she had no idea. After all, she knew nothing of these procedures.

Louhi glanced around the gym, wondering why they were running around in their under things, but not asking. After all, naked baths weren't unheard of either. "As you like Sir" She assured. It didn't seem so odd when everyone was wearing the same thing. It made it a uniform of sorts, like the naked baths. Everyone was naked, it was normal. If only one person was, it would be awkward and probably considered indecent. Her brow furrowed slightly as she took things in. It was certainly different, but she didn't seem too squeamish about it. She was mostly squeamish about her own legs--and even that was largely because of the ugliness of the scars, though part of it was certainly her upbringing.

[Anonymous]

A woman came in and looked around the room. Her eyes fell on Louhi but Thanael had already left to collect a bottle of water.

'You, unbound mage. Where is the Master Sergeant?' she snapped. She was in no mood to deal with mages. It was too early to be running about after the restless Mordecai and unbound mage. Normal people would have been in bed or getting ready to work rather than running around a gym with a freak watching them. Mordecai weren't normal though. Most were tainted from their work with the beasts.

[Anonymous]

"He has gone to perform his training" Louhi said, assuming she was asking after Thanael, keeping her gaze downwards, not quite sure what to make of this woman. It had been awhile since she'd been really snapped at. "I do believe he went in that direction though" She said, motioning towards where she'd last seen him. Now she wasn't sure if she was supposed to move or not. It sounded rather like she wasn't welcome, but then, she was under her master's orders, so logically, she should have nothing to fear.