Hell would’ve been a vacation vs. her first day as a Dylantante.

Tawny was provided her French Maid-style uniform and morosely put in on in the morning. She was hit with a wave of nostalgia as she examined her reflection in the mirror.

When she had put on the Ivoree Gates uniform, she declared that her appearance wasn’t going to get much better.

She was wrong - it had gotten a hell of a lot worse.

Itchy tights, tight shoes, and a hem that was egregiously too high, Tawny squeezed herself into her uniform and went down the narrow steps of the communal sleeping area into the mess hall, where a stern, bulldog of a woman faced a group of new recruits.

Tawny quickly got in line with the group, but her tardiness was noticed by the woman, who scowled.

“I am Madam Fraus,” barked the woman. “And welcome to your first day - your Orientation - as an official member of the Dylantantes.”

Fraus continued: “I am not going to sugarcoat, ladies. The next several weeks are going to be hard. Grueling, even. But you’ve known what you’ve all done. Take solace in the fact that when you have completed your tenure as servants to the Westinghouse family, any debts you have accrued will be forgiven. Any favours wholly granted. But such a prize does not come without a price.”

She pointed directly at Tawny. “You there. Girl. Name.”

Tawny blanched. “T-Tawny Matthews, ma’am.”

“T-Tawny Matthews,” said Fruas, affecting Tawny’s voice and tone, before going back to her own. “I do NOT tolerate lateness.”

She snapped her finger, and a maid appeared beside her holding a large, medieval-style bucket of water. Fraus snatched the bucket from the maid and thrust it in front of Tawny. “Hold this.”

Tawny complied, nearly buckling over at the sheer weight of the water inside the bucket. Fraus straightened up and continued speaking.

“As you can see, first day or no, you can expect me to run a tight ship. Discipline is the cornerstone of excellence, and the Dylantantes are nothing if not the pillars of excellent service. Today you are going to experience your first walkaround to get a feel for how we operate. Each of you will be assigned a buddy to learn from. Learn fast, and learn well. Unlike with your classes, I am not a teacher that likes to repeat her lessons.”

“Um...excuse me,” Tawny said, struggling with the bucket and sloshing some of its water on the ground. “When can I set this down?”

“At the end of the day,” Fraus said matter-of-factly. She then clapped her hands. “Chop chop girls, Master Dylan will be awake and heading to his first class shortly. To your stations!”

Most of the maids scattered, preparing to star the day. For the newcomers, they were gradually picked off by some of the more senior maids who were to act as their mentors.

...All except for poor Tawny, who was left standing alone, still holding the bucket.

“Sink or swim, Miss Matthews,” said Fraus as she departed. “Or drown. Those are your options.”

Tawny felt foolish standing alone while everyone else was paired up. She felt her eyes begin to water, and a tear dropped into the bucket.

She heard a whistle from over the shoulder. “Looks like Fraus found a new pet.”

Tawny turned around. Behind her stood a tall teenage girl in a french maid uniform. Her hair was in a pixie cut and dyed green, and she sported a nose ring in her right nostril.

“So you’re one of the new recruits, huh?′ said the green-haired maid. “Bucket on the first day, too, how about that...?”

“I can’t do this the whole day...” Tawny said; her arms were beginning the shake due to the strain of the bucket.

“Oh, trust me, it’s in your best interest not to drop that bucket,” mused the green-haired maid. “Once I saw someone set the bucket down and Fraus caught her...she wound up cleaning the Westinghouse bathroom top to the bottom with only a toothbrush. And she still had to USE that toothbrush at the end of the day.”

“I need help....” Tawny said, a second tear dropping into the bucket.

“No, what you need is a prayer,” said the green-haired maid. “It’s not even noon and you look like you’ve been through the ringer. I can’t do that for you - Atheist and all that - but I can act as your mentor. The secret is to not think about it. Or, just imagine what your guns are going to look like at the end of the month. Bucket reps equate to some serious gains. Follow me.”

The green-haired girl began walking and Tawny hobbled along beside her, bucket still in tow. When they reached a deserted corner, the girl grabbed the bucket. Tawny immediately leaned against the wall, her arms veritable jelly; meanwhile the girl was holding the bucket with one hand, barely breaking a sweat.

“You get used to it,” explained the girl. “Listen, I don’t normally do this, but I’d like to take you on as my mentor.”

“Really?” said Tawny. “None of the other girls wanted to touch me.”

“Yeah, you seemed pretty hopeless,” quipped the girl. “But lucky for you, I like a challenge. And honestly? It helps that you’re cute. How could I resist those sad puppy eyes?”

With her free hand, the girl yanked Tawny from off the wall and winked at her.

“What’s your name, new girl?”

“Tawny,” in spite of herself, she felt her cheeks grow hot.

“Audrey,” said the girl. She then handed the bucket back to Tawny, who had still barely recovered from the burden. “Break time’s over. Let’s go start the day and get ready to greet our fearless leader.”