Lover of Antiquity

[AngelofDeath]

"Do you have any questions, Nafisa?" She thought as she chewed and then swallowed slowly.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? I mean I am obviously the more experienced of the two of us when it comes to matters such as this. At the moment however no I do not, but I am sure I will have plenty of questions in the morning. That," she pointed to the tablet, "will only be able to answers so many questions in a rather limited sort of way."

Already full Nafisa thought away her plate and refilled her wine one last time. She actually did have one question, but now was not the time to ask it. She would pose the question once she had a better feel for her master. Nafisa yawned softly, more from her full stomach than actually being tired. Her quest for knowledge would keep her up for some time, long after sleep had taken him into her embrace.

 

[marauder13]

Charles laughed. "Well, it's fun to throw it back at you at least once. But I would like to apologise once again for how I initially handled your arrival and how I dealt with it. I do hope that this way things continue to work smoothly for us both."

He drained the goblet, placing it on the desk. He picked up the dagger, and returned it to its place in the cabinet. When he closed the cabinet door, he took a long look at Nafisa, trying to imagine her standing on a deck of a ship, shouting commands to her crew as they approached another vessel in order to plunder it.

"Good night, Nafisa. Sleep well." He walked out of his study, going straight to his bedroom. He went about his night time routine before climbing into bed. He lay still, staring at the ceiling, thinking more about the woman who became the prisoner, rather than the woman who was the prisoner. The Nafisa he saw would be nothing like the woman the Sorcerer had cursed. Given all the abuses she must have suffered at the hands of those who knew exactly what she was, he was amazed that she was able to show any emotion at all.

"Her last Master must have been a rather special man to have managed to breath some life into her. Well... she is a person, regardless of how she got here. And I'll treat her like one. I could have asked to see her body, I could. But it would not be because she wanted me to see it, but because she knew I would like to see it. Just the same as fucking me because I wanted to fuck her. There's no enjoyment in it, because she's not enjoying it.

"Stopping being a little boy over it all. If she can help, let her. If there is some way of thanking her, thank her. Paying her wont really do any good. Ahhh, it can wait until morning at least."

Through the night, he dreamt of being an English Captain hunting Nafisa and her crew, finally capturing them after a hard fought battle, taking her prisoner. He led her back to his cabin, where some Arabian looking man cast a curse on her to obey his every desire, where upon he used her in many varied ways within his cabin, filling and painting her with streams of white goo as he seemed to never run out of stamina as he went from one place and position to another place and position using her until he was satisfied and she was further painted by his seed.

Charles woke the following morning, feeling rather worn out, and with enough of a recollection of the dream to make him feel rather uncomfortable. He got up and went to have a colder than usual shower which helped clear his head.

"Mmmmm... some food, then some activities in this era should help keep me on the straight and narrow for a while, I think." He dressed himself in a sweat shirt and track pants, and wandered down to the kitchen to see what was there that he felt like having for breakfast.

 

[AngelofDeath]

Nafisa cleared the remains of their meal except for the wine jug and her own goblet. Making herself comfortable, her feet draw up beneath her Nafisa started her history lesson with the tablet. It was time consuming, learning about this or that. When she started in on what was now called the Middle East, Nafisa simply sighed. Not much had changed, only the capability of rival groups to kill one another. Finding out what had happened to her family however had not been as easy. The most she could find mentioned her younger brother, Nasir. The quiet boy who had been called a girl because he was so soft of face had grown into a well respect General. Her fingers hovered over the digital copy of a portrait of him.

If she could have, she simply would have looked into the past, but her gifts did not extend that way. This time when she yawned it truly was because she was tired. Nafisa sent the wine away as she shut the tablet down. Once again in her room, she changed into the simple pajamas, she'd conjured and slid into bed. Sleep took her quickly before she could think too much on her lost family.

The next morning she rose right after the sun and spent a long time soaking in her tub. Nafisa didn't not exit until the water had run cold. This this she dressed in a a dark purple entari, the buttons on the front matched the trim around the collar and cuffs. Underneath she wore a simple pair of purple slacks. She let her hang freely behind her. Once dressed Nafisa went in search of her Master and found him in the kitchen.

"Good morning Master."

 

[marauder13]

Charles was looking in the depths of the fridge when he heard Nafisa greeting him. While the shower had cleared his head of most of the previous night's rather lusty thoughts, her voice did trigger a few persistent images in his mind of her bent over a table crying out in pleasure as he pounded her and another of her muffled moans around his cock sliding into her throat.

"Good morning, Nafisa." He closed the fridge door, turning to see how she was dressed. "Very nice, Nafisa. Oh, since I am only technically your Master, and not actually acting as it, if you could call me Charles that would be great. I'm not sure if it due to the curse, or if it is habit, but being called Master while I'm not actually commanding you as such just feels wrong.

"Anyway, I didn't have the best night's sleep last night. My brain was a little too busy thinking about things for me to get a good, proper sleep. So, I was wondering if you could do the honours of getting breakfast this morning for us? We can have it here on the breakfast bar." He pointed to the counter top set up specifically for a small group of people to eat that could be served almost directly from the kitchen.

Charles sat on a stool, almost lounging against the counter as he waited for Nafisa to join him. "What did you get up to last night? Any catching up on how the world is now? Or general reading? Or just plain old relaxing?"

 

[AngelofDeath]

"I can address you however you wish. The...default of the curse is to address you as 'Master'. And while you may not feel as such, that is what you are, Charles."

Though it was hard to say he was completely wrong when he asked more than commanded when it came to her. His request for breakfast was a good example of that. Walking into the kitchen fully and standing before him she asked, "Of course. Is there anything specific you wished to eat?" Nafisa's voice still held some husky shadow of sleep.

"What did you get up to last night? Any catching up on how the world is now? Or general reading? Or just plain old relaxing?"

She hadn't actually expected him to ask about that. She should have though. "I caught up with the world and did some research." With a small wave of her hand she produced a cup of the tea she'd provided him the other day along with a small teapot and a glass of orange juice. For herself Nafisa conjured another cup of coffee. "I wanted to know what had happened to my family after my...disappearance. They didn't depend on me or anything like that, but I had to be sure that that bastard had not spread his anger towards them."

 

[marauder13]

"Yes, Nafisa, I know that I am your Master, and you are my slave, due to the nature of the curse. Call it an exercise in deliberate delusion. The more I shift away from the that point of view, the more I will treat you as a person, less as a slave. Hearing you call me 'Master' is a reminder, and a temptation to my baser nature to take unfair advantage of the situation, which runs contrary to the agreement we struck."

Charles continued to watch Nafisa as she closed on where he sat. She was very pleasant to look at, and he was starting to enjoy her company. Her outlook on life was radically different to his, due to when she was born, and her cultural background, as well as her time while cursed. She would have picked up on much during her times of 'freedom', but he was sensible enough not to ask in case he touched on something that still carried some emotion weight.

"As for breakfast, I thought once more of experiencing something that you would have had in your day. For me, it's fascinating to be able to sample foods from ancient times and know that they are exactly as they are meant to be, rather than an approximation."

He poured himself some of the tea and sipped it as Nafisa recounted her efforts during the previous night. He lifted his eyebrows when she told him of her search for her family.

"And did he spread his anger to them, or was he satisfied enough with what he did to you? Did you find out anything about your family?"

Charles paid close attention to her as he asked her those questions. Nafisa claimed that she had little emotion left, but that she was looking for her family spoke of emotions that she still harboured that had not been snuffed out. He became concerned that such news could do her more harm than the curse had done.

 

[AngelofDeath]

"As for breakfast, I thought once more of experiencing something that you would have had in your day. For me, it's fascinating to be able to sample foods from ancient times and know that they are exactly as they are meant to be, rather than an approximation."

"As you wish," Nafisa nodded and began to think of an appropriate breakfast for them both before the headed out into the outside world together.


"And did he spread his anger to them, or was he satisfied enough with what he did to you? Did you find out anything about your family?"

She took a sip of her steaming coffee before answering. "I honestly do not know. I could only find information on my youngest brother Nasir. He grew up to be a rather well respected general. It was a bit of a shock as Nasir was always a quite boy, I always figured he would grow to be a scholar or something like that. He lacked the warrior's heart you could say that I was born with."

On the counter their breakfast appeared. Two bowls of haleem, an oatmeal like dish topped with pieces of dried fruit. There was also two plates with honeyed bread served with soft cheese and apricot jam. Nafisa took a seat opposite Charles. "I did manage to catch up as much as one can in one night. Overall the world has not change much. Humans are still as violent and decadent as ever. Great achievements walking side by side with great horrors. Though it seems women have advanced beyond just mothers, wives and whores." Nafisa took another sip of her coffee.

 

[marauder13]

The food appeared on the counter, and Charles took the time to soak in the aromas. His mouth started to water, and he nodded his appreciation to Nafisa as he started on the contents of the bowl before him.

"Mmmmmm. This is good. Thank you, Nafisa." He sat silently, enjoying the Persian breakfast and easing his hunger a little.

"Nafisa, would you like to find out what happened to the rest of your family, if record of them survives? In your mind, is it better to know, or to remain without that knowledge? In some cases, it is better to know the truth, regardless of how bad it may be, but for you, given how long it has been, and how much you have suffered elsewhere, it might not be to your advantage to know.

"As for Nasir, it does not come as that much of a surprise to me. History is littered with examples of 'quiet ones' who go on to do great things. Sometimes good, sometimes not. They also tend to watch, learn, see what others miss, know how to do what others don't. I'm sure that he was a great general because he was a clever man."

Charles listened to Nafisa's recap of recent history, and couldn't have summed it up any better. He nodded to her while taking a bite from the honeyed bread, his eyes partially closing at the delightful taste.

"Yes, women has come far, but they have still far to go. Old habits, traditions and outlooks still hold sway and slow the process down. But things are changing, and eventually, men and women will be seen as equals in most ways, except where our biology clearly states our differences."

Charles finished eating his breakfast, as well as having a second cup of tea, while trying to figure out the best way to go about the day's shopping and sight seeing.

"Now," he drummed his fingers on the counter, "I have the base idea, now I need to go into the specifics. You are going to need very minimal clothing to start with. Now, if I show you a couple of pieces of clothing, will you be able to reproduce them? Because you can make those just... disappear, correct?

"The reason for this is you will have had the misfortune of loosing your entire wardrobe to some form of disaster, and you've borrow some of mine until you can restock. That will explain the cause of lack of underwear, shoes and the like. Any of the articles you buy, you can use to create your own through the curse, and the originals we can keep for emergencies.

"So, when you're ready, we'll go up to my bed room, and I will get you the clothing that you'll be wearing to get your own clothes."

 

[AngelofDeath]

Nafisa thought about his question regarding her family while she ate. After a sip of coffee she answered him, "Eventually. I can't stay trapped in the past and right now knowing Nasir lead a good life is enough." Charles was enjoying once more what she provided for them and that did five her some small sense of pride and pleasure, even if she hadn't actually cooked it.

After breakfast their conversation turned towards the clothing she would wear. "Yes I can copy what you show me. And yes I can just make this," she waved her hand towards herself, "disappear." The look on her face said she might do just that, but her clothing remained where it was. Nafisa understood the trouble he was having with her 'gift' as he lived in a time and world of science. What she could do, her very existence really flew in the face of that.

"My magic works as an extension of my thoughts. I simply have to concentrate and it is there. Of course it is a very diluted version of what my captor was capable of. I am sure he was capable of bending the laws of nature on a much larger scale than what he achieved with me."

"The reason for this is you will have had the misfortune of loosing your entire wardrobe to some form of disaster, and you've borrow some of mine until you can restock. That will explain the cause of lack of underwear, shoes and the like. Any of the articles you buy, you can use to create your own through the curse, and the originals we can keep for emergencies."

"I see. I suppose it would be easier to 'borrow' your clothing rather than going out like this, though this is not too ancient." She finished her coffee and cleared everything away.

"I am ready whenever you are." She got back to her feet and followed Charles as he led the way to his room. "I suppose one small pleasure is that corsets are no longer the norm of fashion. Even though I wasn't encumbered as normal women were, I did find the things, annoying." Of course Nafisa had come from a time where women were less retrained by their clothing.

 

[marauder13]

Charles waited for everything to be cleared away, then started to head off for his bedroom. He reflected on all she mentioned concerning the nature of the curse and how it worked for her. He found it fascinating once he allowed his mind to remain open enough to take it in and not just reject it out of hand.

"I suppose one small pleasure is that corsets are no longer the norm of fashion. Even though I wasn't encumbered as normal women were, I did find the things, annoying."

"Well, there are some areas of fashion where corsets are making a comeback. So, who knows, before I am gone, corsets may become a normal fashion item again." He kept himself to a grin as he walked, having the good sense not to laugh. He led her into his bedroom, signalling her to wait in the main part of the room while he went into his wardrobe. He returned quickly with a good pair of track pants and a sweat shirt. The laid them out on the bed for Nafisa.

"Pick them up and have a good look at them if you need to. I would recommend that you keep the jewelery to a minimum. Of course, you would only be wearing those two articles of clothing, until we got you something else to wear. And remember, select clothing that appeals to you. I am happy to give input, but the final decision is yours.

"Once you've changed, I'll get changed into something more appropriate for myself, that will also conceal the dagger safely and permit you to travel beyond the bounds of my home."

 

[AngelofDeath]

Nafisa did as instructed. When Charles brought the clothing out she picked each article up. They weren't overly complicated so making duplicates wouldn't be too much strain. After putting them down she held her hands out and the copies appeared albeit smaller so they would fit her body more appropriately.

Looking at Charles she gave him a calculated look as she asked, "Do you wish for me to change here or in my own room?" It was part joke, part wanting to know if he really wanted another view of her body. While she didn't doubt he was sincere in not wanting to take advantage of her, even though it was his right to do so as her Master, that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the view when it was offered. Nafisa had long since become comfortable with her body and at this point did not mind if he looked. Other people were an entirely different matter.

 

[marauder13]

Charles watched out of pure curiosity as Nafisa investigated the clothing he got out for her. When she was finished looking at it, she put them down on the bed and produced replicas in her hands which looked slightly different than what was on his bed. It was amazing to see it happen. Even watching her bring the food, drinks and everything else needed to consume them was still a marvel, seeing her do that with the clothing seemed to be something special again.

He caught her look at him. He had seen similar looks before by people who tried to anticipate the possible responses to what they were about to say. He instinctively put himself at the ready.

"Do you wish for me to change here or in my own room?"

He saw the question for what it was. He was sorely tempted to respond that she was fine to change there, but he refrained. Since she was testing him, he decided to throw the test back at her.

"Nafisa, if you would gain some personal pleasure from displaying your body to me while changing into the other clothing, then please get changed in here. But if you are doing it just to please me, and not please yourself as well, then go change in your own room."

He peeled off his own sweat shirt, casually tossing it into the hamper just inside the wardrobe. His chest was mostly free of hair, and most of it was lightly coloured, making it hard to see. His torso was well formed. He was trim across his chest, with the slightest signs of fat on his pecs, and on his abdomen, but the muscle and definition was still clear. Upon his right pectoral was a jagged scar above the nipple, angled downward from near the shoulder stopping near the centre of his chest. His arms were solid, showing no signs of flab or fat.

He stood, waiting to see where Nafisa would end up getting changed.

 

[AngelofDeath]

Nafisa watched Charles take his shirt off with a casual eye. Fit with the small hint of age and time catching up with him. The scar on his chest caught her attention and she let her eyes trace the full length of it. It was hard for her to guess what might have been the source of the scar, but it didn't seem to limit him or take away from his overall handsomeness.

Charles's answer was about what she had expected. Without batting an eyelash Nafisa set her new clothing aside as she brought her hands up to take care of the buttons on her top. Dropping her shoulders the fabric fell away almost silently. any other time she would have had a sash belted at her waist, but Nafisa has striven fro a more casual approach. The one benefit of her imprisonment was that she no longer bore the scars of her old life. The majority of them had not be serious, just proof of a hard and sometimes dangers life. The only one that would have seriously stood out was the old scar that used to run diagonally across her back from right to left. That had been the one to almost end her time as a Cosair and potentially her life.

Hooking her thumbs into her pants Nafisa slowly bent over as she pushed them down. Like many women in her time Nafisa removed the majority of her body hair. Her legs were as smooth as her underarms. As for her mound, just the barest hint of hair.

She didn't rush to put her alternate clothing on, but she did not linger either.

 

[marauder13]

It was plain where Nafisa's eyes went when he removed his sweat shirt. She looked at the one gift of his service in the army, courtesy of a hand held bayonet of a mortally wounded enemy. He wanted to take one more with him, and chose Charles. Mainly because Charles was the first one to round the corner. Of course, her being a Corsair, she would have seen her fair share of scars, and probably had received a few of her own, not that he had seen any the last time he saw her naked. But he guessed no one wanted to see a scared slave, would they?

But he was surprised that she decided to change in the room with him present. To him, that meant that she desired, she liked for him to see her naked body. It brought her some pleasure. He stayed were he stood, openly enjoying seeing her casually exposing herself as she changed her outfit. As she had looked at his chest, he found his eyesight drawn to hers. He found her breasts to be almost the right size and shape for her body. He wanted to hold them, feel them to know how firm they were. He wanted to discover how her nipple would look when they responded to touch, tongue, teeth, sucking.

As for the rest of her body that was exposed at that time, he could spend hours letting his hands drift over it, mapping every curve, plane, rise, fall, dip, bend, valley, ridge and other features that made up her personal landscape.

He waited patiently as her thumbs hooked the pants, and she bent as she sent them to the floor as well. She stood, stepping out of the pants, confident and comfortable in her nudity, which made her all the more attractive to Charles. A woman who accepted herself was always more attractive to him that one who had doubts, even if the doubter was physically more beautiful. Nafisa had every reason to feel confident, and that shone through as she went to get the clothing she would wear out when they left the house.

There was no tease, nor provocative movements nor delays. Neither were there attempts to hide herself either. She continued to dress as if she was alone, but fully aware of her Master's presence before her. Once she was done, Charles picked up the originals he brought out, along with the sweat shirt he had been wearing, and walked back into the wardrobe.

After a few minutes, he returned with his clothing, which he laid out on the bed. He gave her a long look, which finished in a coy smile, and he proceeded to remove his track pants. His middle age spread was confined to just his abdomen, and even then it wasn't that pronounced. But his legs were those of someone used to walking a lot; solid thighs going down to toned calves. He also was slightly erect. Even at that stage, he showed signs of being sizable enough, and looked like it would be fully functional if needed.

He put on a pair of boxers, followed by a long sleeved casual shirt, smart jeans, socks and shoes. Finally, he slipped on a jacket. He went to one of the bed side chest of draws, and pulled out his wallet, phone, keys and other essentials.

"All we need now is the dagger, and were set to do a little shopping. Are you ready, Nafisa?"

 

[AngelofDeath]

Nafisa's other clothing vanished to be replaced with a simple pair of sandals that she slipped on while Charles dressed. She did watch him casually, taking note of his body. He had a nice body, clearly in shape. He wasn't a man to let wealth get in the way of personal care. Physically at least he was the sort of man she liked, not too much muscle, but not under developed either.

She hadn't miss the smile he'd give her, Charles was giving her as good as she had given him. Nor had she miss the slight rise of his cock. If Nafisa could have she would have. Not that his body wasn't pleasing, it had already been established that she found it so. No she would have ignored it for the fact she could fill part of her curse stirring inside of her. It sent a lick of warm running down from her breasts right down to her core.

Looking away casually Nafisa ran her fingers through her hair and took a slow, deep and steadying breath. It had been so long since Nafisa had been used for one of her intended purposes that, the fact she was forced to respond to the unguarded visual of her Master's arousal.

"I'm am ready as I will ever be, M..Charles," Nafisa answered once he was dressed and ready to go.

 

[marauder13]

It did feel a little strange getting changed in front of Nafisa, since she wasn't one of his fuck buddies. He entertained the thought of is happening sometime, but it was not something he was actively working on. But it was nice seeing how she checked him out in similar ways to how he had checked her out. He was someone who liked having his ego stroked by a good looking woman seeing if he was admirable.

'I wonder what it is she sees in me when she looked at me like that? Someone worthy of her time, or just another of those monstrous men who have abused her through the centuries?'

He liked who she turned from him, running her fingers through her hair. It was such a feminine gesture, one that seemed to him to be so removed from Nafisa's personality. She was a woman, and saw herself as such, but he never saw any of those particularly feminine gestures from her.

"I'm am ready as I will ever be, M..Charles."

That caught his attention. He walked past her, not saying anything as he went to the study to pick up the dagger from the trophy case. He turned, holding it at chest height in both hands, facing Nafisa.

"Answer me honestly, Nafisa, what has you unsettled? You almost called me Master just then." He took the sheathed dagger into one hand, holding it steady over his heart while he looked squarely into her eyes.

 

[AngelofDeath]

While she hadn't told him that actually holding the dagger guaranteed she would obey his command without defiance, Charles had either known without being told or simply had been lucky. The moments hesitation was enough to spend sparks of pain floating through her head and Nafisa answered him before her nose started to bleed. Once in her very long lifetime was enough.

"My body's reaction to you. It has been so long since I have been, used that I forgot that part of my torment includes becoming aroused by the sight of my master's naked arousal. When you are dressed and aroused, it may not be necessarily directed towards me. Naked however is a different matter." She bit down on her lip sucking in a deep breath.

Nafisa hated acknowledging the weakness she felt with her curse. It wasn't that she couldn't get aroused on her own, she could. Nafisa hated the notion of having no say in whether her body reacted to the sight of her master naked and aroused. There had been more than a few that had turned her stomach.

"If there is nothing else on your mind Charles, I think we should proceed with the day's plans." Yes she was changing the subject or at least trying to. He was free to do what he wished with the knowledge.

 

[marauder13]

Charles stood and listened as Nafisa answered him. He could tell that she didn't want to reveal the information. He could not blame her in the least. He knew he had been partially aroused when he had changed, but hadn't thought much of it as he knew Nafisa was aware of his thoughts toward her.

"If there is nothing else on your mind Charles, I think we should proceed with the day's plans."

"Oh, we shall, Nafisa." He slipped the dagger into an inside pocket of the jacket, doing up one of the buttons. "But to clarify, you can get aroused without the effect of the curse? So if you saw someone that got you thinking sexual thoughts, you could get the normal body reactions." Charles frowned for a moment as he started heading for the front door. "And what if I was wearing something that didn't really obscure my arousal from your sight? If it was covered, but say there was a telltale bulge, you would be safe from the curse's effects?"

The revelation was a tricky one to deal with. He could easily manipulate Nafisa via her curse into getting aroused by him, hopefully to the point where she would need to act on that arousal. Of course, he had no idea of how long the effect would last. Would it be cumulative? Would it wear her down, making it easier to arouse her the next time, or make the arousal stronger or deeper?

He opened the door for her, allowing her to pass through first, then closing it behind him. "Nafisa, we have an agreement, one in which I am going to treat you as a person rather than a slave. By the nature of the curse you are under, I am your Master, you are my Slave, and those conditions are reinforced. Now, I discover that if I am not too careful, I may trigger reactions in you that may not be reflective of your choices."

The elevator arrived, and they stepped in. Charles selected the ground floor, and they descended smoothly. "As I have said, I would like nothing more than to have you share my bed, Nafisa, and the more I have learned of you, the more I would like that to happen. But I am not going to use this knowledge to lure you into doing something you are not wanting to do. I want any arousal you feel, initially at least, to be truly felt, free of your curse. In future, I shall remain clothed in your presence, lest I trigger your arousal."

The elevator came to a stop, and Charles led Nafisa out through a typical modern looking lobby area into the street. Being a weekend, it was quieter than usual, with a few cars on the street, and plenty of room to maneuver on the sidewalk.

"Luckily for us, all the stores we'll be wanting to visit are not far away. Those, plus a good choice of restaurants and cafes where we can have lunch as well. I gather that buildings of these types weren't around when you were last out."

 

[AngelofDeath]

"Yes I can still get aroused outside of the boundaries of the curse. Let's just say it does not happen often." She followed behind him answering his questions, "My body won't respond in the same way, but I will be keenly aware of your state."

As they walked his next statement simply garnered a shrug, "No one ever said this was supposed to be fair. Revenge rarely is when it comes to the one it is directed towards. I can only assume it was a lack of true cold blood maliciousness that kept him from rendering me into a dumb moaning bitch in heat with no thought beyond the want of my Master's cock."

If Nafisa hadn't done her research the idea of the elevator would have caught her off guard completely. As it was, the idea of not having to climb stairs was a fun experience even if the sensation that came with moving was odd to her for the time being. When Charles said he wouldn't use this new found information to his advantage she simply stared at him and then nodded. While she may have been relaxing around him, natural wariness didn't not go unchecked.

When they exited, Nafisa didn't stop herself from looking around at everything. "Not in the way they exist now, but that is simply a matter of time and advancement." The buildings were much taller and more polished. Nothing was really plain or unassuming.

The people were very much the same, variety was everywhere.

Nafisa had to stop herself from staring at every car that passed them. The machines were fascinating to look at. She wondered if she would actually enjoy being inside of one.

As they walked Nafisa, even plainly dressed drew looks from men and women alike. She didn't seem to even acknowledge the looks however. That was in part to being very used to drawing attention without doing more than simply being somewhere. The world have become smaller and people more aware of other cultures, but it seemed Nafisa still managed to stand out.

"Everything seems so, large but small at the same time. The buildings are taller than I could have ever imagined them possibly being."

 

[marauder13]

Once outside, Charles noted the attention Nafisa was drawing from the passers by. He had him a little curious at first, until he started taking not of Nafisa herself. Being the Corsair she was, and the subject of a lot of sexual activities, she had quite a great deal of grace to her movements. She didn't walk so much as flowed along. That more than anything else caught people's attention. Of course, once caught, they would have noticed her figure and her face and found both to be appealing and exotic. Charles felt a slight bit of pride that this attention grabbing woman was walking at his side, rather than someone else's. Of course, if she was pulling attention at that point, he couldn't wait to see how heads would turn once she was more fashionably dressed.

The first destination was just two blocks away from where Charles lived. As they approached a small mall, he turned in and led her through a selection of specialty shops. Jewelers, florists, shoes, hats, handbags and related accessories and other stores lined either side discretely and elegantly. But Charles was headed straight into a store called 'Silk and Lace'.

Inside were two women. One was in her late thirties, the other in her mid twenties. Both conservatively dressed and well presented. The elder of the two women approached Charles, her eyes flicking briefly to Nafisa before focusing on him.

"Good morning, Sir. How may I help?" Her voice was smooth, cultured and pleasant on the ear. Charles also noted it was completely fake and lacking anything near true sincerity.

"My friend here has suffered a recent personal tragedy which has left her without any clothing, bar what she was wearing at the time. He merely nodded in Nafisa's direction. "So, we are here to get her some lingerie, functional wear, to replace what she has lost. Of course, this time I thought it would be beneficial to get articles that were properly fitted for her. Since as a man, I know little of the intricacies, a female friend spoke of the service she got here, so here I am."

The smile changed subtly to one that was genuine, as did her tone of voice. "We do our best to met our customer's needs." She turned her attention to Nafisa. "If you would follow me please, we can get you properly measured, and we can look at what styles and colours would best suit you." She took a step away from them, indicating the direction she was going to walk.

Charles nodded to Nafisa. "I will remain out here. You find what you like. I wont want to embarrass anyone by sitting in on the whole selection process."

 

[AngelofDeath]

Nafisa had been through this before with Jamenson so the whole concept wasn't hard to understand. "Of course not, Charles." She gave him a small look that simply said she knew he wasn't referring to her when he made his last comment before she followed the other woman back to the fitting room and then the fun began.

After she was measured for a bra, Nafisa was presented with several options, after telling the woman she really didn't have a preference. She tried them all on before settling on 2 different styles and a a few different colors. Nafisa might have skipped the underwear, but Charles had said he wanted her to have everything, so she picked out matching colors to go with her bras, half in boy short style and the other in a high french cut style.

She decided against the garters and stockings. After corsets both were things she'd never been overly fond off. Heading back out to where Charles was seated Nafisa looked at him, "I think I've managed to find some suitable replacements." The smirk on her lips hinted that Nafisa wanted to say more, possibly even open the door to him inspecting her selection.

For once however she was going to behave. At least for the moment.

 

[marauder13]

Charles wandered the store, genuinely interested in what passed for women's lingerie. Some of it, he guessed was worn mere to be removed before sex, wasn't even enough to give the illusion of covering the essentials. Plus he found what a number of women wore as function pieces made him wonder how they managed to get anything done at all. Still, the female mind was a mystery to him, and one he felt that was best left unsolved, and just admired for what it was; the most exotic of enigmas.

He finally sat down, content to relax while she went through the remainder of the fitting process. He managed to retreat into his own world and lost track of time when he noticed Nafisa walking over his way.

"I think I've managed to find some suitable replacements."

The smile, if he could call it that, told him something different. It seemed that Nafisa was feeling relaxed, and somewhat playful as she approached. Charles gave her a reply grin, and went to the counter, and paid for everything. Once it was all bagged, the thanked the women in the store, and led Nafisa outside.

"I'm glad to see you so happy after the trip in there. What's got you feeling so good?" He led her outside, turning to head in the same direction they were heading when they found the mall, they continued their casual stroll towards the next shop.

 

[AngelofDeath]

Nafisa walked along side him, "Nothing really, I'm simply enjoying the moment for what it is. So where are we going next Charles?" After her research last night, Nafisa understood why he didn't want her publicly calling him Master. Slavery was no longer in fashion for one thing. Next was the fact that even though she would be working for him it was expect that she refer to him by his last name. The final being was the sexual connotation the word had taken on.

Most people would assume, the third was true, if they heard her call him such. In truth that first and third were more true than the second. The second was simply a way of explaining her presence in his life. And speaking of that, "I assume no one will question why you suddenly have a personal assistant?"

 

[marauder13]

"Nothing really, I'm simply enjoying the moment for what it is. So where are we going next Charles?"

He turned and looked at her. "You seemed to have relaxed enough for your sense of humour to come out. I find that to be a good sign. Though be careful how you tease. Go too far, and I might just forget about some aspects of that curse." He gave her a grin to let her know how serious the threat was.

"I assume no one will question why you suddenly have a personal assistant?"

He laughed. "The only question will be 'What took you so long, Charles?', though I suspect a few will comment on your physical appearance as one reason for the delay. That was I going for something a little out of the ordinary for the role. I doubt that I could go any more out of the ordinary than you, could I?"

They paused to allow traffic to pass, then crossed the street. "Where are we going to now? A store that a friend of mine owns, and I am pleased to say she does a damn fine job too. I feel I may need to keep an eye on the two of you."

He brought them to a stop outside "Serena's", opening the door and letting Nafisa walk in first.

"Charles, you couldn't have got her here any sooner. Please tell me that these are not clothes of her choice?"

"Not at all, Serena, they were emergency supplies. She lost her entire wardrobe while in transit relocating to work for me."

Serena stopped, pulled back a little and looked at Charles in surprise. "Working for you?" She turned her head slightly. "Not a 'Pretty Lady' thing is it?"

Charles smiled broadly, hoping like crazy Nafisa was unaware of the reference. "No, she is my personal assistant."

Serena stared at him intently over the top of her glasses, then relaxed. "You had me going there for a moment, Charles." She turned and looked at Nafisa from crown to toes. "You, my dear, are going to be a pleasant challenge. Come on, let's get you something to wear about town, plus something for the office. Don't wait for us, Charles, we'll be gone for a few hours."

"That's fine. Text me." He walked over to the corner area, grabbing a book and settling down in one of the comfortable chairs. He hoped that Serena would be a bit on the sensible side when picking outfits for Nafisa. Charles shrugged. He trusted Serena.

 

[AngelofDeath]

If Nafisa had found her time in the past with dressmakers time consuming it was nothing compared to modern day shopping. Or it may have been something to do with the story they were going with about having lost all her clothing. Either way Serena had made Nafisa into her personal mission. First up was something for Nafisa to wear the rest of the day.

She was trying on a pair of slacks while Serena was in the middle of going on about her take on what colors would look best on Nafisa and complaining about Charles dragging her around town looking like a housewife. "So how did you two meet?"

Nafisa gave her as close to the truth as possible, "An auction. Old estate items and such. " She looked at herself in the mirror, the slacks hugged her hips and highlighted her height. "I think a couple more pairs of these will do. Another black pair, the dark gray and the navy blue."

"I see," Serena just nodded, taking note of Nafisa's selection, but her tone said she wasn't buying the story completely.

Several tops later and Nafisa settled on a low cut Burgandy blouse. She'd put one of her new bras on, more because she knew it would be expected than actually wanting to. Even with her simply sandals on the combination of her loose hair, clothing and body made for a stunning picture.

When it came time for clothing for work, Nafisa let Serena talk her into two skirts, but otherwise insisted she'd rather stick with pants. Business professional slacks, blouses and two blazers later that was done.

"I can't remember the last time Charles brought an acquaintance in for clothing. Least of all one who would be working for him." The casual hinting was there again.

Nafisa just smiled, "Well Charles felt responsible for my clothing being lost due to his job offer and having to move. It is very nice of him though." She was thumbing through evening dresses. Even though she could simply conjure something to wear, that was modern, but close to the style she was used to Nafisa did recognize the fact she'd need at least one dress from this time. "And since you seem to know him rather well, are there any lovers I should know about who might...misjudge the situation?"

Serena gave her an approving look before she answered the question, "Well we aren't that close of friends, but unless things have changed lately, no you don't have anything to worry about."

Settling on two dresses one black and one purple Nafisa looked at the small mountain of clothing.

"I think that's everything." Serena nodded in agreement after selecting two short nightgowns, a black silk robe and several pairs of thigh highs to add to the pile. When they headed back out with the clothing, Charles took one look and shook his head slowly.

"And this is why its better to leave the men at home. They just can't appreciate how therapeutic shopping can be," Serena quipped as she sent a smile Charles' way.