[of our own device]

Who: Cora and Aiden
Where: Outside of Staff Apartments
When: Dawn
What: Reacting to the worst dream ever.
Warnings: Sex (in dream form)

( The problem with addiction was the chance of relapse. )

Who: Cora and Aiden
Where: Serenity Pool
When: Early Morning


Cora had a break before her shift, before the cleaning and her other services, so she'd decided to have a calm swim before she returned to work. The spa would be quiet. Not many guests used it in the early morning hours and she could swim without worrying about having to have the moment interrupted by a guest.

She dipped below the surface, red hair streaming around her as she lingered in one spot for a moment. There was a calm to being beneath the surface; thankfully, hydrotherapy had never been like this. No, this was something different, something special. She felt pure beneath the water. She'd had so many moments of calm like this before. Everything was slower. Relaxed.

Surfacing, she caught sight of a figure moving towards the water and she realized that her time might be up for the morning. She made her way to the ladder and began climbing out before she recognized the person.

Dr. Mallory. Her cheeks grew pink, from the exertion of swimming, she promised herself, and she reached for a towel, wrapping it around her torso quickly. She had been seen by countless guests, but for some reason, she felt bare in that moment. Exposed.

"Good morning, Doctor." She was quiet, offering him a brief and polite smile.

WHO. Cora and Thomas
WHERE. Room Service.
WHEN. Morning

Another morning. Another day. Another guest. Cora was tired. It wasn't the cleaning. It was the repentance. A part of her had taken the position at the hotel to make up for her behavior and she bore it in stride, but this morning, she was just exhausted. She had the towels that had been requested beneath her arm, walking up to the room and rapping on the door three sharp times.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

It was like code. It had turned into code, those three slow knocks. She was the only housekeeper who did it just that way. Slow. Even. Spaced. Just enough to alert the guest that it was her.

"Housekeeping. I have the extra towels you ordered." She called out, shifting on her heels before she knocked again. She didn't have the patience for this. It was too early and she was already exhausted. She had a rip in her left stocking that was irritating her from an earlier engagement and she was knocking on the door of a guest she knew might want a little bit more than a few extra towels.

"Mr. Barnes."

Who: Cora and Jon
When: Evening
Where: Staff Lounge

Cora loved the moments when she got to spend time with men who didn't make moves on her. It took her a while to trust a man's true intentions, and they came truer than Jon. Both had an appreciation for fine wine, smooth jazz music and light talk. She wasn't a gossip, like some, but she did enjoy reminiscing about things. After all, the world outside just passed all of them by, and quite a few of them didn't seem to care.

Perhaps it was that Jon's calm demeanor reminded her of a doctor she had once known. A doctor who hadn't cared for the archaic ways of the institution yet hadn't been capable of making things any better for her. The capabilities just weren't there, not like they were now. The safeties to ensure that people weren't mistreated.

She'd showered, changed from her uniform, and dressed in a nice dress, carrying a bottle of wine with her that she'd retrieved from the bar with a promise of favors later. She could hear the music playing from the lounge and she smiled.

"Evening, Jon. Eventful day?"