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A Day Later, early evening.

Olyvia sits down with her tray, sighing. She's tired, she's sore, she feels more than a bit ignored about wanting to explain why her being here is a mistake that needs to be fixed yesterday, and she's... actually pretty hungry. So she takes a bit of her food before focusing on anything else.

Another full day of work, just mopping the endless floors of the Fortress, never that far from watching eyes, or people who would certainly inform the resident watching eyes, if they were to try anything not included in their job to do. And while Olyvia wants to find a way out, running away would end fairly shortly, given the rather airborne nature of their current residence. So for another day, she's bitten her lip and done the menial work some more.

The squirrel looks at the fur on her arms, idly musing: "...I already need a bath. This is doing horrible things to my fur."

Jennet settles down on the seat across from Olyvia, placing her own tray down. A bowl on her tray contains a surprisingly robust salad, which might make one wonder if the castle has some form of garden or greenhouse to grow its own produce... but Jennet is too tired for any such thought.

She's done long days of hard work before on her family farm, so this is nothing new, just different work. "Back home, we would just have a shared bath sometimes. The whole family, together. It uh... I'm from a big family." She frowns, lowering her head down. "Guess it's been awhile since I've had one too."

Olyvia blinks: "Er... no offense, but I'm not sure I want to share a bath with you."

Jennet glances up and gives a tired smile, "No? Heh... guess you're probably used to bathing alone, huh?"

Olyvia hesitates, then nods: "Alone, yes. Or when I was younger, a family maid helping me." She prods at her food... and eats some more, because despite her morose feelings, she's hungry as well.

Jennet eats a little more eagerly, only stopping to speak, knowing best to take advantage of the time she has to eat when it's available. "A... family maid, hm? Never even dreamed of having such a thing. Though, I guess I'm dressed like one now."

Olyvia glances at her own, similar outfit: "Err... in a way, I guess we are. Huh." She idly picks at a hem of her dress, sighing.

Jennet sighs, "Sorry... it's a bigger deal for me. I never had a dress. This feels... nice. Even if the work is still hard. But, I know that it's... not you." The field mouse has certainly not been doing much to 'fight back' or help Olyvia out in getting out a word of her identity. Truth is, she's terrified, and anytime any of the other castle staff so much as looks at her funny, she freezes up, immediately jumping to do whatever they say.

Olyvia glances at Jennet as she continues eating. "Mmrph. Guess the outfits are not the worst thing about all this." She sighs: "...I just know I will be so sore tomorrow. This... sucks."

Jennet glances away in shame, "Sorry... I've not been much help for you..."

Olyvia frowns... but then her expression softens again. "...guess it's not your fault. No one listens to either of us."

Jennet nods, "We... don't exactly seem to matter. I mean, I never have, but..." She shrugs again, her fork poking at the salad absently a moment. "Everyone here scares me... I'm not meant for this kind of world, even if I was made for the work. It's more the kind of place you might belong, but this isn't the work you were meant for. We're both kinda screwed..."

Olyvia harrumphs: "There's gotta be some way to make this better, even if we can't leave. This can't... this can't just be it, you know?"

Jennet chuckles dryly, "I don't know. Maybe this is all there is for me. I ran from one tedious life to another, that's all."

Olyvia blinks: "...you can't just say that. Don't you have like... hopes, dreams, anything?"

Jennet lowers her fork to stare down into the salad for what feels like forever, her ears folding downward, "No... but, those were gone long before we got pulled up here."

Olyvia tilts her head, then slowly nods: "I can... suppose I can see that. It's not really..." She trails off, picking at her food for a moment: "...well, I don't really know what I want, but it's not what I was forced to learn, for the most part."

Jennet tilts her head a little, "I thought folks like you could do whatever they wanted?"

Olyvia blinks: "Um... maybe in some ways? I haven't. Family legacy and all..." She gestures with her paw: "...kinda got this mountain of expectations on me, you know."

Jennet shakes her head again, "I... guess I do. But I really don't. The most I know about nobles is from my pa cursing about the tax collectors. And..." She lowers her voice again to a whisper, as if saying the name would somehow draw her attention, "The Emperess... saying how she's done such great things for the land... but I don't really know much about that either."

Olyvia pauses, thinking. "Well... to be honest I may have snoozed through those lessons as well. Didn't seem important at the time." She hums, frowning: "...except of course now we're on the bottom of her own Fortress, so might have been good to know."

Jennet hums, "Well... they probably didn't have a lesson about what to do if you're caught stowing away aboard the castle? ...right?"

Olyvia winces: "Err... no, not exactly. That..." She glances around, then sighs: "...was probably just my own mistake." She deflates a bit, having had entirely too much time in the last two days to think through her actions the other day and the only conclusion she can come to is that everything leading up to her capture was in fact, her own doing.

Jennet shrinks a little in response, "H-hey... not entirely your fault... I was there too, after all."

Olyvia blinks, then sighs: "...well, doesn't matter much I guess. We're here, question is I guess, what do we do next?"

Jennet smile sadly, "That's the part I feel lost about... what can we do next? I... I want to help you get home still... I'm just scared... lost."

Olyvia frowns slightly as she continues eating. "I don't know. I just..." She pauses, considers, then continues: "...I don't know. Maybe time will tell. I've found myself out of trouble before, just... maybe not this scale of it."

Jennet takes a moment to glance around. The cafeteria is half-full, with some folks opting to eat dinner in their rooms or elsewhere. "...same, I suppose. I wish things were different though. I'm really not a trouble maker! I just... wanted something else from life."

Olyvia blinks as she feels something hit a note inside her. "...me too. Um. Just maybe not this. You know."

Jennet nods, some core deep in her daring to hope. "I... I don't know. But... maybe. Maybe not this, yeah."

Olyvia gives a small smile. "And I guess... it's better to have a bit of company in this, if nothing else."

Jennet relaxes slightly and smiles, "Yeah..." She taps her fork against the salad bowl a moment, "And... if you do find someone to listen, and find a way home... maybe I could go along with you?"

Olyvia blurts out before thinking: "I would not leave you here!" She blinks, runs her mouth some, then slowly nods: "I mean... uhm... that would not be fair, would it."

Jennet blinks, having been preparing to argue her worth as a hard worker, "O-oh. Yeah... okay. Thank you, Olyvia."

Olyvia pauses, then smile: "It is, uhm..." She trails off, thinking, clearly embarrassed by her outburst. "The right thing to do, right? I mean, if I was able to do it, anyway."

Jennet nods, "I... suppose so? But we should get you home regardless. Don't throw away your chance for my sake."

Olyvia tilts her head: "And what about you? You're willing to risk a lot for my sake, too."

Jennet shrugs, "I... I can survive here. If I have to. Hard work for food and a room... I can live this life, you know, if I have to." She wouldn't be happy, but it's as much as she had dared hope for at this point.

Olyvia pauses, not really sure if that is the right answer, but nodding anyway. "...well, if you say so, Jennet."

The squirrel sighs softly. "...guess we should head to bed. K-kinda get the feel that tomorrow will not be much different."

Jennet finishes her salad, then nods, "Or... for a long time. I don't know. But we should rest when we're able to, yeah."

Jennet grabs her tray to follow, "Well... we will find a way to get you home."

Olyvia smiles at the mouse: "...thank you." She lets out a small sigh as her mind goes to the sheer impossibility of that task, right now.

Jennet smiles back, "I mean... what are friends for, right?"

Olyvia blinks, but then smiles again: "...yeah. We'll figure this out."

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