"Yes ma'am."

She's down to the last handful of silverware, now. "Lord Pritruth is responsible for Master Deskyl's injury - we don't know what was done to her, but he repeatedly cooperated with her being taken for it. It's reasonable to conclude that he intended to kill her, eventually."

"I see," says Clematis. "Reminds me of some Darklords I could name. - the Nobilis are divided into songs, Heaven, Hell, Dark, Light and Wild. Darklords want everyone to be free to destroy themselves."

"That sounds a bit like Sith, yes ma'am." And she's done with the dishes; she puts the last fork in the drying rack and turns back to Clematis.

"Thank you very much for the dishes, ah... Sorry, I've completely forgotten your name in the rush of things I've been doing." 

"DZ-twelve-Q, ma'am. DZ for short, if you'd like."

"Thank you for the dishes, DZ. Is there anything you'd like to keep yourself entertained while Deskyl rests?"

"Droids don't get bored, ma'am, but I'd like to learn more about this world, if you have books or a holonet connection."

"We have internet, which I suspect is similar to your holonet. I'll see if I can arrange for you to borrow December's computer when she's not using it."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"And now I was about to show you around."

"Yes ma'am." She follows politely.

Clematis shows her the stairs up to the second floor. There are three rooms up here and a bathroom. Clematis gestures broadly to the bathroom in passing - there are books stacked up on the counter - and then shows her own room. It's clean though cluttered with a small bed, two dressers and a desk. A detailed coloring-book lies open on the desk, along with a collection of bracelet-making supplies. A collection of woodburned portraits of animals hangs on the walls. 

Aurica's room is next. She has a small bookshelf stuffed with fantasy novels. Little tokens sit atop it - a figurine of a dragon, a large quartz crystal, a black potion-vial stoppered by a marble painted to look like the earth. Aurica herself lies in bed beneath black covers, a phone hugged close to her. She looks up as they open the door and gives a little wave. "Next time knock," she says. 

The room on the whole gives the impression that every single individual object has been put in its precise place... except for the clothes on the floor, and the plates by the bed. Aurica has gone back to her phone.

Last is December's studio. It's covered in clutter and crap, with a mess of pop cans gathered in against the side of a large computer December is using, apparently to model something. There's an inflatable mattress covered with a foam mattress on the floor, and a tangle of blankets next to it. A cardboard box filled with books jams up against a set of filing cabinets. The large desk that december sits at is mostly taken up by computer, scanner and printer, and then there's the soldering iron and the breadboards and some of Clematis' beading supplies and a spool of copper wire and so on and so forth. Discarded projects fill most of the closet, leaving not much room for December's actual clothes including the labcoat she wears persistently. 

"Hey," she says. "I see you're showing them around."

"And I'd like it if DZ could borrow your computer while you're not using it."

"Sure, twist my arm. Is there anything else? I'm kind of busy here."

"No, nothing. Glad to see you doing well." 

"The same for you."

Clematis closes the door. 

"So," she says. "What do you think?'

DZ is carrying the books from the bathroom, having not yet figured out where they belong. "Thank you, ma'am. Should I clean your and the others' rooms, or leave them alone?"

"You should probably ask their owners. I don't need my room cleaned - I was mostly hoping you'd pick up after December and Alasha."

"Yes ma'am. Is there anything else?"

"No, nothing. I should start cooking some actual food for everyone." 

"Thank you, ma'am," DZ nods, and takes a closer look at the books she's carrying - she doesn't read the language yet but she might be able to guess who they belong to anyway, now that she's seen their rooms.

There are two paperbacks that look like they'd belong in Aurica's room, a technical manual that looks like it's probably December's, and a faux-leatherbound journal of indeterminate ownership.