24 Mother and Daughter Bonding

Waking up in an unfamiliar room, Emilia jumps up and looks around frantically. Then she recalls the events of the previous night and calms down. She moves toward her luggage bags to look for clean clothes to change into but a knock at her door stops her. She tilts her head and grimaces, wondering if this place is the same as Dietrich's with the maids who forcefully help you get bathed and dressed in uncomfortable clothing.

"Come in." She says with a scowl. Her body relaxes as she sees Quin and Vira enter the room but she stays on guard in case they come with maids. "Hey sis, mom and I were wondering if you wanted to…. What the hell is that bag of rubbish that you're digging through?! Emilia…please don't tell me that those are your clothes. They look so old and worn out." Vira says with a face of disgust and horror.

"They are… I don't have a job or money so I can't afford to buy more. Plus, I've never been allowed to go buy clothes. Just gave them a list of things I want and they got it for me. Why?" Emilia says warily. She feels dread as she looks at Vira's eyes lighting up with an idea. "This is perfect! We're going on a shopping spree, mom is coming with us of course. That's actually why we came up here in the first place, we were going to ask if you wanted to go into town and look around with us." Vira says happily.

Emilia looks over at Quin to see if this is true. Quin's face was lit up hopefully, obviously anticipating Emilia's response. Emilia sighs and stands up. "Alright but can I at least shower first? I smell like a pig that rolled in its own feces." She says deadpan. Vira bursts into a fit of laughter at Emilia's analogy while Quin gasps. Emilia, however, fails to understand their reactions.

"Oh poor Emilia, you have so much to learn. Go ahead and shower, I'll bring over some of my clothes for you so you can pick something out for yourself. I'm pretty sure we wear the same size since our bodies look pretty similar." Vira says, rushing off before Emilia can object. Emilia looks over to Quin for help. "Not even I have the power to stop her once she becomes determined. Sorry." She says apologetically.

Emilia shrugs and goes into the bathroom to set up the water for her shower. She peeks back into the room and sees Quin still standing awkwardly by the door. "Hey uh… mom? Can I call you mom? Or would it be strange since we don't really know each other?" Emilia asks with hesitancy. Quin's face lights up. "Of course you can! But only if you're comfortable with that. I know it might feel a bit off to call someone mom when you're unfamiliar with them, even if they are your birth mother. But what was it? Did you need something?" Quin rambles. "Uh well… if you want to, would you like to help me with my hair when I get out?" Emilia asks.

Emilia is attempting to make Quin feel accepted by her. She feels as though she isn't the only one who is unsure of how to adjust to the newness of this reunion. Seeing Quin's eager nod and bright smile gives her the confirmation she was looking for. Emilia goes back into the restroom and undresses before hopping into the shower.

When she comes out, Emilia is met with Vira and Quin bickering quietly amongst themselves in front of a giant pile of various pieces of clothing. She leans her back against the door and watches the two females with amusement, they're obviously unaware that Emilia has entered the room. Suddenly Vira spots Emilia and straightens her posture.

"Hey, I wasn't sure what kind of clothes you like wearing so I brought a little bit of everything for you to choose from. Please tell mom that I did NOT bring too many clothes for you." Vira says with a pointed glare at her mother. "Mom, a lady can never have too many clothes to pick from. I am simply ensuring that my little sister has enough variety to pick something that she's comfortable wearing." She adds with sass.

"Thank you, I appreciate your thoughtfulness but…this is a little bit extreme. And I'm not entirely sure what is appropriate to wear… could you help me with the decision making process please?" Emilia says awkwardly. Vira's eyes soften at her words. "Oh darling, you're allowed to wear anything that you're comfortable in. I wasn't meaning to make it seem like I was looking down on your clothes earlier, I just want to give you the best of everything." Vira says in a genuine manner as she hugs Emilia.

Quin pushes the two apart, jealousy evident in her eyes as she glares at Vira. Emilia fails to stifle her laugh as she watches the exchange. "Why would you suddenly hug her and cling to her like that, Vira?? You neither asked for consent nor stopped to think about how it makes Emilia feel to be embraced by a stranger like that!" Quin scolds her older daughter. "Emilia didn't mind it, right?" Vira pouts while looking to Emilia for backup.

"I learned the moment I met her that Vira is very affectionate so I expected this kind of thing from her. No worries, mom. It doesn't bother me much." Emilia explains. Vira giggles and jumps back into hugging Emilia, taking her words as consent.

Quin gives them a sad look, feeling left out. Emilia feels a bit guilty so, despite herself, she offers her arms to Quin. The older woman jumps at the opportunity and joins in on the hug. Though she is smiling externally, Emilia is feeling extremely uncomfortable and grimacing on the inside. She shrugs mentally, at least they're happy and nobody is pouting about anymore.