Vi leaves Caitlyn with a masked client. Caitlyn, after a brief but awkward exchange with the guy, is seen by a masked admirer and beaconed to join her in her private room. Caitlyn accepts this as a chance to pretend to be a worker and get information, but her masked admirer has other plans…

Caitlyn considered waving away the invitation from the masked stranger at first, but decided not to. Yes, this was a new environment for her. Yes, she had to be careful. But she could take care of herself. She had never been in a place like this, and had only heard of such places from seasoned officers and conversations she overheard in crowds. It was like an urban legend. Or a different world. One beyond the closed one she had lived in her whole life. Mother and Father would never let her even be in the same vicinity as a place like this. "I can only imagine the verbal lashing I would get if Mother knew", she mused to herself as she turned in the direction of the masked woman.

The mask covered the top half of the woman's face, but Caitlyn could see enough to know that the woman was beautiful. Her clothing, what little she wore, was largely turquoise with some burgundy and with white trim and piping. It did not cover much, which actually … didn't bother Caitlyn for some reason.

Smiling back, she raised a hand and nodded in acceptance as she made her way over. With the muffled sounds echoing off the walls and the thick air, it felt almost claustrophobic in the hall. This place was like nothing she ever encountered in Piltover. Not in school, or in the academy. Mind you, she never really socialized, as there seemed to always be a cloud around her. Those who were not envious of her due to her family name would try to befriend her believing it would advance them, or had more base reasons for trying to get to know her. Although Caitlyn never, well, explored the more intimate aspects of relationships, the lack of interest seemed strongest with boys. With other girls?…well, it was different. She just felt they were easier to talk to. She was more comfortable around them.

The room probably had enough space to sit down and get her bearings. As she got closer, she could smell the woman's perfume. It had a rose scent, not overpowering, but just enough to notice. The woman was slightly taller than Caitlyn now that she was near. She was leaning at the doorway, and as Caitlyn approached, she reached out.

"Well, hello beautiful. Do you have a name", she said in a soft friendly voice as she took Caitlyn's hand. "Uh, um, hi…" Caitlyn stammered. Wait? What was she stammering for? Smooth, Caitlyn, she thought to herself. She knew what she was doing. "Mathilda" she said. It sounded so forced coming out of her mouth, as if she was saying it in the tone that it was a question. She said it again, with more confidence this time, deciding to do away with the fake accent she had tried earlier.

"That's a beautiful name, Mathilda, thank you. I'm Hazel. Are you new?"

"Uh, no, I mean, yes. This is my first time here. But I've … been around". Caitlyn looked away sheepishly for a moment, realizing that at best, the comment made little sense, and at worst, well… In that moment, Hazel quickly looked up and down at the young newcomer's shapely slim body, imprisoned by all that… unwelcome clothing, and softly rolled her tongue over her upper lip before Caitlyn looked back. She was beautiful. She gently cupped Caitlyn's face in her hand, smiling in a gentle way that put Caitlyn at ease. It's probably just a common form of etiquette here, Caitlyn thought to herself, unaccustomed to the physical contact. Hazel then let her hand slip from Caitlyn's face and removed her mask, revealing a beautiful face, exotic, mocha coloured, with soft lips and the most penetrating brown eyes Caitlyn had even seen.

"Really? I'd love to know more about what other places you've been. Your outfit is so cute, you really have great taste in clothing. And… I don't think I've ever seen anyone as beautiful as you anywhere in Zaun."

Caitlyn blushed at the compliment, unable to keep any semblance of a poker face. That was the third time she used the word beautiful to describe her. The way Hazel spoke was so disarming. She was not accustomed to this kind of affection, and realized she had forgotten to thank Hazel for the compliment. But before she could say anything, Hazel said "c'mon, Mathilda, let's get you inside and get to know each other", taking Caitlyn by her hand which, Caitlyn didn't even realize, she had been holding onto for their whole talk.

As they walked into Hazel's private room, hand in hand, Hazel let Caitlyn walk in first, but continued holding her hand and leaned back so she could take a quick look at Caitlyn's shapely behind and long toned legs. Hazel could only smile. This, Mathilda, was beautiful. The dancers in the more high roller clubs could not compete with the beauty whose hand she was holding. And her face? So beautiful, cute and elegant at the same time. She felt a rise in her heartbeat at this stranger. Her face was the most beautiful she had ever seen, not just here, but it other establishments that provided their clients the same service. Although Hazel was a worker that would normally accept all clients, her desire was reserved exclusively for women. Beautiful women. But none as beautiful as this… Mathilda. Hazel immediately felt a sense of possession, not wanting to let this beauty get the attention of unworthy visitors.

As Caitlyn walked in, the air in the room didn't seem as heavy as in the hallway. There was a transparent curtain with some decorative beads along the edges. There was a strong scent in the air, possibly adding to the slight humidity in the room. Caitlyn couldn't place a name to it. It was like being in a botanical garden, but without the greenhouse overhead.

Caitlyn looked around at the room. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. The walls were painted with images of trees and plants, which contrasted nicely with the real plants that were in the private room. That's probably why the air in here isn't as heavy as outside, she thought to herself. There was an oversized cushioned seat against the far wall, big enough for more than one person, with some large pillows to the side. The room was probably a third of the size of her study, but with the elegant patterns on the walls and darkened lighting, it felt smaller. More intimate. A side table with a globe and statue of some kind of bird. The floor was almost completely covered by a thick carpet. And along the edges were small cylinders of incense burning. She'd never smelled incense like this before.

"C'mon, sweetie, let's have a seat", Hazel said nonchalantly, motioning Caitlyn to the couch with her hand still holding hers. Stealing another quick glance at Caitlyn's backside before she turned to sit, biting her lip to control her desires.

Only after Caitlyn turned to sit did Hazel let go of her hand. She made sure she let go before Caitlyn pulled back on her own.

As Caitlyn sat back in the chair, she sunk in slightly, and looked around her in surprise, probably not realizing how padded these sofas were supposed to be. Hazel let out a soft laugh, and Caitlyn smiled back, blushing in embarrassment. Hazel sat right next to her, her heels under her own backside, her left arm resting on a raised pillow, her face only a few inches from Caitlyn's. There was an awkward silence, and Caitlyn tried to start the conversation without giving anything away about her. "Wow, these are exactly like the gardens above ground", she said.

"Gardens? We don't get them here, we —, wait, are you from Piltover?! That's amazing! I've never been there, and I've always wanted to see the gardens" Hazel said.

#$%#! Caitlyn thought to herself. But she couldn't get too mad at herself. This was her first time in Zaun, there was no way she could honestly expect to pass as a Zaunite for long. Oh well, time to adapt, she said to herself. "Yes, well, maybe sometime you'll get to see them. I'd… love to give you a tour sometime". It wasn't really a lie, Hazel was very friendly, and it seems like something she would like, but the likelihood of it happening was remote at best. Caitlyn never had many friends going up, so this conversation gave her a chance to work on her conversational skills and choosing the right words.

As Hazel spoke more, Caitlyn felt her unease at being in this place dissipate slightly. There was just… something about Hazel. The way she spoke. She seemed the same age as Caitlyn, or maybe even younger, but way she carried herself and spoke about current affairs, she just seemed like worldly, or like she possessed an old soul. She would maintain eye contact with Caitlyn, but not stare. When she did lock eyes, it felt to Caitlyn like Hazel was staring into her, as if she had known her for a long time and was reconnecting. Hazel would look away periodically, either to gesture at one of the plants, or motion towards one of the wall paintings before looking back at her. Hazel would talk about the paintings, but then toss in a comment about proper etiquette at the brothel for clients and workers, never getting too far off topic.

But at all times, she made it feel like Caitlyn was the centre of her world and all that mattered. She seemed to hang on every word Caitlyn said, and would recall some off comment Caitlyn made minutes earlier with clarity, as if to prove that she was listening to everything she said. Every so often, Hazel would let her hand touch Caitlyn's leg or arm, or brush an errant strand of hair from her face, while mentioning how soft and nice her hair was. She was so at ease that she didn't even notice the small touches here and there. Caitlyn found herself smiling and even chuckling a few times with the charming brothel worker as their conversation continued.

It was not something Caitlyn ever remembered experiencing, as she always found it so awkward to engage in prolonged conversations with anyone. When she mentioned how people back in Piltover referred to her as a misfit, Hazel blinked in surprise, and, with a thoughtful and curious look on her face, Hazel said she never realized that some words had different meanings between Zaun and Piltover. When Caitlyn asked what she meant, Hazel replied "Well, down here, the word 'misfit' is a bit of an insult. It means someone who doesn't really fit in, or is a screw up…"

Caitlyn replied, with a confused smile "Well, yes. It actually does mean the same thing in Piltover too."

Hazel shook her head while looking at her, speaking with a slightly more serious and thoughtful tone, "No, it doesn't, sweetie. It can't. If they're calling you a misfit in Piltover, then it clearly means that in Piltover, 'misfit' actually means 'beautiful beyond all reason'", finishing with a smile while cocking her head to the side, as if giving Caitlyn a moment to process what she said.

Caitlyn felt her whole face go red and suddenly felt like wanting to sink into the cushion she was on and disappear. "oh, uh, wow, thank you, I've, I don't think I've ever been called that. Maybe 'annoying' beyond all reason? —" Caitlyn tried to joke, but Hazel gently put two fingers over Caitlyn's lips to stop her, wearing a smile but there was an seriousness in her eyes. "No, I've never been to Piltover, but I know it has to mean 'beautiful beyond all reason. Because that's what I'm seeing. Don't try convincing me otherwise." ending by letting her hand fall on Caitlyn's leg. Giving it a gently squeeze as she placed it back on her own lap.

Caitlyn, not sure what else to say, could only hope the blush had gone away somewhat. Still a bit flushed, she tried to change the topic and talk about the brothel, what it was like, and what its clients were like. Hazel talked about how it gets a bad rap, that the people are good people trying to make others feel better, if only for a short time. Caitlyn nodded in understanding, asking more questions, trying to learn more about the clients and workers.

As Caitlyn was talking, Hazel couldn't help but alternate between staring at her eyes and her mouth. For some, the gap in one's teeth was something that some people tried to cover or close cosmetically, but with Caitlyn, and the way she talked, it just made her all the more beautiful. Every now and then, when Caitlyn looked away, Hazel would let her gaze drift down to Caitlyn's chest and legs. The way she walked, carried herself. She was exquisite. She could barely contain her excitement at the beauty concealed underneath it all, but no, she had to take it easy. Don't frighten her away.

"So, Mathilda, you're new here, do you know how to please our clients here?" Hazel asked.

"—uh, well, you know, I just try to get them to talk about their problems —" Caitlyn started, but was cut off as Hazel held up her hand to her mouth as if Caitlyn had cussed in school as a student, looking back at the doorway as if she was afraid someone would hear what she just said. She turned back to Caitlyn wearing an expression of surprise and concern.

"Oh sweetie, you never ask them about their problems when they come to you! No no no." Caitlyn got worried and said "uh, what do you mean?" How could she get information then?!

Hazel went on "The people here? They don't come here to talk about their problems. They're tired. Stressed. Unhappy. They come here to forget they had problems in the first place. Don't get me wrong, we DO want them to talk, and they will, but only when they're ready. And that only comes at the end. It's about them trusting you with their secrets, so you want to make sure you earn that trust."

As Caitlyn nodded, Hazel continued, "There's very little talking at the beginning, sweetie. The real talking only happens in the end, after they're happy." She leaned forward as if to emphasize her point and whispered as if revealing a deep dark secret "the truth is, everyone wants to talk, and everyone has a secret they want to tell, or a complaint they want to voice to a sympathetic ear. We all do. But they have to feel they're with someone they can trust. Someone they can talk to, confide in. Even a soft shoulder to cry on. And once they're… happy, and feel comfortable with you, they'll talk. And when they do, they'll talk so much that you'll find you sometimes have to cut them off so they don't cut into one of your other client's time", she finished with a smile.

Take the time at the beginning to make them feel happy, comfortable, and then they'll feel comfortable enough to talk on their own, simple formula, Caitlyn thought to herself. Don't treat it as an interrogation or questioning. Make them come to you. As she was saying this, Hazel had let her right hand rest on Caitlyn's leg. Because Caitlyn was so focused on Hazel's words, she didn't even notice.

"It's really important to make them happy. And I don't want to see you get in trouble with the boss, okay? These people aren't bad people, but some of the people they work for are. Some of them are under a lot of stress when they come in. We just want to help them feel better, and when they do, they'll let us know." Caitlyn nodded, thinking to herself, some of the people they work for are bad, maybe some of them will talk about who they work for, and what those people do. I just have to find the right person…

"— you know what, I just got an idea," Hazel said, interrupting Caitlyn's thoughts. Her talking seemed to be much slower now, more deliberate. Something about how she talked, she could alternate between seeming youthful and friendly and wise and almost worldly, and both seemed in character for her. She looked deep into Caitlyn's eyes and said "I.. I know we've only been talking for a while but I've been having a great time getting to know you. I've never met anyone like you before, and I … really want to help you do good here. To help you make clients happy, and be happy yourself. But you need to know how to work with the clients. What to expect. And what's expected of you. Do you trust me to help you?" There were a few moments of silence as Caitlyn considered. Caitlyn came here to get information. She had to. If she didn't, this whole thing would have been a waste. Breaking out a prisoner, (who in all likelihood already ditched her, she thought she might have caught sight of a redhead walking by earlier, causing Caitlyn to mentally curse herself), being here unofficially, a sheriff that was just looking for an excuse to ship her off to a remote station. It was like no one wanted to help her. All these thoughts seemed to echo in her head at once, and the small room seemed to amplify these feelings. She thought about it, and after a looking to the doorway briefly, looked back at those deep brown eyes of Hazel, and nodded a yes with a tentative but trusting smile.