Killing time

It was painfully obvious where Artem’s eyes drifted, and Winifred scolded herself for not taking the time to tie her dress. Except, no matter how wrong it was for him to be eyeing her like he was, she loved it felt. Having his eyes roam her in this way made her feel seen. Eyeing the doorway where Gular had come back from, she took it upon herself to assume the bath was that way. If she had to stand in front of Artem any longer, she might grow entirely too weak to say no if he were to ask.

Slipping past Gular, Winifred stepped into the bath area, relieved that her intuitions were correct. Loosening her dress even further, she let the mangy cloth fall to the floor. Her wings tingled with anticipation of the warm water. Dipping her toe into the tub, she was pleasantly surprised and could have dived in. A sigh of pleasure released from her lips made the water feel even warmer. Resting in the tub, a slight steam lingering in the air, the water came just above her nipples. Leaning her head back on the edge of the tub, she groaned out loud. It took a few moments before she finally moved a lazy hand to the bar of soap. Scrubbing her body, to the point of no dirt on her skin, she dunked her head into the water and scrubbed any stench out of her hair.

Completely soaked, she stood in the tub, gentle trails of water kissing her skin. Stepping out wearily, she found the cloth Lars had spoken of. Combing through her wet hair, she did so until the strands seemed as tangle free as they would get. Humming to herself as the water dried from her skin, Winifred wrapped herself in the cloth and stepped back into the area where everyone was. The only skin that could be seen, was the soft features of her face, delicate but pruned hands, and her feet. She didn’t know what to do at this point, so she stood silently and let her eyes roam the room.