Written in 2008 for charlie_bz, found it again by accident, liked it enough to post here. Huzzah.

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Basic Skills

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The uniforms are not exactly simple. Creme-colored, flowing fabrics. They command attention in fastening and wearing alike. And they are impossible to fold.

Wrinkle-resistant, sure. But the frustrated ball of garment looks untidy.

She is certain there is a lesson involved in it. There is a lesson involved in everything, for first-years. Ninety-eight percent involve patience.

Well, if they insist... She pushes the drawer shut and all disorder becomes a hidden secret.

It's a white chest, surfaces so smooth they reflect like a mirror, but the light is low and calming. The carpet is beige. The blinds are vaguely wooden. Bright yet gently so. Pristine yet not sterile.

Her tiny, private room. Her soothing home.

It is calculated, she knows this, too. A manipulation for her own good. They explained it during orientation. It is all about manipulation for someone's good. An agreed one. It is not deception, after all.

She will be this way, too. Wield a benign power.

To wield it responsibly, they must prove their worth through study and discipline. And self-sufficiency.

Cleaning, cooking, mending, shopping, research, correspondence, time management.

And laundry. Thursday night laundry.

Her freshly clean underwear smells like marigold. But it folds easily, neatly.

It is really rather a good thing she didn't go into Companion training for the glamor of it all.

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END.