Late Evening, June 21, Year of the Great Kingdom 597

Audra: Agnes' aged clerk and younger sister, angrily stamped her way back to the kitchen when Telma refused to open her door. Dropping the tray into the scullery, she slid the plate of precious fruits to the center of the girls' table. "The dumb bitch wouldn't open the door. So, you have it!" she snapped, before moving on to the bar and searching for her sister. The women of the establishment eagerly grabbed up large handfuls of the fruit and giggled at the rare treat as they ate.

These were Agnes' 'comfort vai' – or more accurately, the women that she employed to be comfort vai for her customers. They were all outcasts or runaways, but Agnes knew her trade well and had only selected the most youthful, beautiful, and creative girls she could find. In this place, they rarely revealed their true names – and then only to one another after trust had been earned – instead, referring to themselves by the names of various flowers.

There was Nightshade – a Gerudo woman of medium height and build, dark complexion, and wore deep blue eye liner. She was the quieter of the girls, being slow to speak and often did so breathlessly. She was outwardly tame and submissive, but still possessed all the deadly skills necessary to protect herself.

Lavender – was a shorter, softer Gerudo who had once enjoyed a wealthy lifestyle but, for unexplained reasons, was forced to run away from her mother's home. She had medium complexion and wore deep purple over her eyelids. For her part, she was relaxed and easy going – given to being lazy more than anything else, but she had learned to put in her time and work hard for Agnes, so she remained "in the house."

Violet – was tall and slender, with rather fair skin for a Gerudo. But what she lacked in her build, she more than made up for in her attitude. She was oddly fierce in a very silent way. If she told a customer "no" -she would speak softly, even gently. But if the man did not immediately obey her, he would quickly find himself being thrown through the window of their room. Lavender had once teased that she should be called "whispering death", but the dark glare from Violet caused her to wilt. She wore a deep purple eyeliner – both to compliment her fairer skin and for the sake of her name.

Rose – was fiery, dominant, and powerfully built. In any other life, this woman surely would have been a fearsome Gerudo warrior on the front line – but she had quarreled with a young officer early in her life, and killed her – forcing Rose to flee to Outlast. Tall, thickly muscled, and possessing vibrantly red hair and piercing golden eyes, Rose was the woman men were sent to when they teased the front desk for something "not so soft." She had a reputation for sending more men away broken and whimpering than satisfied. She wore a bright yellow eyeliner, to match her eyes.

And finally, Safflina – was bright, bubbly, and always happy to be needed anywhere in "the house." Outwardly she was as average as a Gerudo could be in height, build, and other features, but her personality was remarkably un-Gerudo. She near-constantly smiled at everyone she met, burst into tears at the slightest argument, and thoroughly enjoyed being "engaged" by her customers. Her choices of makeup changed almost daily, but her colors were always bright and vibrant.

During the tense but peaceful years before the war had broken out, these women took it in turns to "provide services" for Agnes' customers. These could include anything from washing clothes, to beautician skills, serving food & drinks, deep tissue massages, and even… more 'private' services behind a closed door. The wealthier or more powerful patrons could even "buy a girl" for the entire day – having her serve as a personal servant in all things. The poorer (or more frugal) could engage one of the women for an hour or for a specific service, as they were willing or able to afford.

Most of the customers of course were Gerudo Vai – either off duty warriors or desert traders in need of rest and relaxation. But before Ganondorf's war, a surprising number of Hylian men could be found in Outlast. A few were genuinely there to trade – though of them, not many were kind or trustworthy types. Most, however, had come for Agnes'. Making the perilous journey past the Citadel, or taking hidden trails up into the mountains, they would slip into the desert inn during the hours of darkness and pay for a night of "comfort" before they left the following night.

Some were pathetic farmers that had no wives of their own and simply longed for the company of a woman. Others were wealthy, even powerful Hylians, who had made the journey out of a sense of adventure (or lust). The poorest men could afford very little and mostly hoped to be chosen for a "day (or night) of meeting" by one of the Gerudo warriors in the village who desired a child. Others were able to negotiate with Agnes and her girls for anything short of drawing blood (and with Rose that was still a secret option).

The owner and her sister had their standard rates for food, drinks, and the use of a room. The girls were allowed to set their own prices with the customers – but they were required to give up significant portions to Agnes for each visit. In this way, "the house" was always well paid, but whether or not the girls received much money – depended upon their own "skills" and "popularity" with the customers.

But the happy times of peace had been shattered by Lord Ganondorf's assault on the Hylian frontier and the last of the "men's business" had dried up days ago. Now the girls lounged around Agnes' bar, waiting to serve drinks or food to the few Gerudo customers that wandered inside.

After hastily consuming the fruit that had been intended for Telma, the girls quickly ran their fingers around the plate – trying to reach the last few drops of sweet nectar – before turning to one another and resuming their chat. "Who was she again?" asked Lavender. "Something about a dead woman in the street." Answered Violet. "We don't let dead women in here." Grunted Rose – who was using a small knife to pick fibers of the fruit out of her teeth. "Audra said something about… her being a refugee." Murmured Nightshade softly. "A refugee?! Oh, that's terrible! We should go see her!" exclaimed Safflina.

With nothing better to do in their empty time, the five shrugged and stood up to go find the latest wanderer to enter "the house." Quickly sifting through Audra's records – while Rose kept watch – the girls quickly found that the newcomer was in room "3" and had been taken in without a name. With a fit of giggles from Safflina, they strolled (or bounced) their way down the hall, to Telma's door.

Grasping the handle, they found it locked. "Oh… dead end." Whined Lavender. "Hello?!" Safflina called, "Are you in there?" but no response came from inside the room. "Probably dead already." Muttered Violet. "Dead will stink soon and I'm not smelling that!" growled Rose, who pushed the others aside and prepared to kick the door in. "Stop you beast!" cried Nightshade, who swiftly pulled a slender pin from her hair, "You have the grace of a Molduga I swear!" Stepping aside – with another angry growl – the large Gerudo let her kneel down and carefully pick the lock.

After a few seconds work, and a satisfying "click" from the handle, the girls slowly pushed the door open. The room had been completely dark, until the light from the hall shone in. Telma was still cowering pitifully at the top of her bed, trembling like a terrified child. The girls stared at her for a moment, unsure of what to make of the sight, before Safflina very softly called, "Hey… are you ok? We just want to talk to you." But their visitor did not recognize her words. She just stared at them, wide-eyed and trembling.