Tea

Intricate_Icicle2197 · Tea

Yeah, I really don't know... XD
Read.. comment if you want... This is just the first part so far.. I have no idea if I'll continue or not. I do have another part after this, but I'll post it later, perhaps. ^^;

“Here, take this,” I was told as a wooden tray was pushed into my hands. White teacups with blue flowers and green ivy sat upside-down on their matching saucers surrounding a large teapot decorated by the same pattern. Judging by the weight of the tray, I assumed the teapot was filled as much as it could be without overflowing. “Don’t make a sound. Don’t be noticed. And don’t spill the tea.” Those were my last orders before I was spun around by my shoulders and given a gentle push out through the swinging wood doors. I had to stop for a second to catch myself, to prevent the tea from spilling. Regaining my sense of balance, I glanced through the open glass doors to see a table set up, clearly just for tea and the pastries that were already placed there. Ladies bedecked in elegant strands of pearls and emeralds and wearing the finest silks in an array of colors all sat in large, comfortable looking chairs, talking quietly amongst themselves. I squared my shoulders and walked through the doors, sliding the tray on the table without a sound and turned to head back out through the doors.
“Oh!” The smallest syllable in the quietest voice was said, and it caused me to stop dead in my tracks. A sinking feeling in my stomach, I was sure of what was to follow. “And who is this, Lady Isabel?” I felt all eyes shift to my back.
“That’s just the new one,” she replied stiffly, emphasizing the word ‘new’.
“Looks healthy enough,” the same lady put in.
“You.” Lady Isabel’s voice was not soft and kind to me, like it was towards her friends. “Come here.” Turning slowly, I suddenly felt very self-conscious. If there was anything more I hated then being this low on the chain, it was being scrutinized by those higher up. I walked in an almost mechanical fashion over to My Lady and stood in front of her, my head bent down to avoid her gaze. With a cold, long finger, she tipped my chin up and forced me to meet her eyes. She gestured with her head the direction of the lady who had spoken, the one who wanted to see me. I turned on my heel and faced her.
She was younger than My Lady, her skin still fair and free of wrinkles. Her eyes were a silver-gray and sparkled with interest, as she looked me over. She, too, tipped my chin up and turned my head from side to side inspecting me. But unlike My Lady, her fingers were not cold and prying but rather, they were warm and almost seemed to ask permission to trace the contours of my face.
“I see you got the upgrade, as well, Lady Isabel.” The lady’s eyes flickered towards the base of my neck. Her finger traced the symbol that was etched on my skin. As she did so, I averted my eyes from her face and looked her up and down. While she was still young, I realized that she must have been extraordinarily high up on the chain, for her dress was made of one of the finest silks available on the market today and dyed the most expensive color- green. Not to mention that her dress – from the high mandarin collar to the long, flowing sleeves – was trimmed in silver thread, which not only looked astounding, but also drew great attention to her eyes. She wore no jewels on her hands or around her neck; it was obvious that she didn’t need to, it was just known.
Her hand pulled my chin up again, so that I was now looking back into those stunning eyes. Taking one of my arms into her hands, she moved it up and down, slowly and expertly, as if looking for something. She rotated it in a circle, forwards and backwards; then the other arm.
Glancing over at My Lady, she asked, “May I?” After seeing the swift nod of approval, she turned back to me and looked at me expectantly. “Sit.” My eyes widened in surprise, but I sat down nonetheless, not wanting to upset either of the ladies. (The rest of My Lady’s guests had now gone back to chattering amongst themselves quietly.)
Taking my leg into her warm hands, she rotated them as well. When she seemed satisfied, she nodded and offered me a hand to help me up. I was shocked at this gesture, but took her hand anyway and pushed myself up off the ground. Dusting myself off, I bowed hurriedly, thinking that whatever this inspection of me was, it was over.
The lady cleared her throat as I bowed. I felt my head drop another centimeter or so in disappointment. Realizing this detail, I felt my face flush, fervently hoping that the lady hadn’t seen. Lucky for me, when I looked up at her, she was not looking at me, however, her gaze rested on My Lady. They seemed to be having a private conversation between the two of them, one without words. With a swift nod, My Lady stood up and glanced around at her guests.
“Would you mind if we excused ourselves for a moment, ladies?” She gave them a look of sincerest apologies as she addressed them. Her guests looked up at her and nodded and waved their hands as if to tell her that it was no trouble at all. Some murmured that it was fine before they all went back to their previous conversations. My Lady nodded again and turned back to us and motioned for us to follow her. Obediently, I shadowed the two ladies until they stopped in a small parlor.
Both ladies sat down on the couches in the room- My Lady in the large, overstuffed, floral couch, and her guest on the stiffer-looking lounge. I glanced to the corner where a dusty piano sat, looking as if it had been abandoned for years. I felt their eyes on me as I grabbed the piano stool and brought it out closer to the middle of the room; dust flying off the surface of it and swirling in the afternoon light that shone through the open windows. I sat down, keeping my eyes on my hands, which were folded in my lap.
“Lady Aeros,” My Lady began in a soft tone. “What can…?” Her voice trailed off. I glanced up to see Lady Aeros hold up a finger to My Lady, stopping her in mid-sentence. With her hand still up, pausing My Lady’s words, Lady Aeros looked over at me and motioned with her other hand for me to come over.
“Would you turn for me, please?” I began turning around. When my back was facing her, she made a noise to indicate that I was to stop rotating. I heard her twist on the lounge so that she was sitting up. Her hands found my shoulders. She pulled them back so that I was brought to full height. I felt her push up the back of my shirt, tentatively, as though asking if it were okay. I knew what she was looking for. With a sudden motion, I yanked the shirt off over my head and let it fall to the floor. My Lady seemed slightly taken aback, but I could almost see Lady Aeros’ lips twitch with the smallest smile. I had barely known her for ten minutes, yet it was if I could predict her every reaction. I suppose this was just one of the features of the upgrade- to help me to analyze and accommodate people at rapid speeds. Her fingers trailed down my spine and stopped at the middle of my back. They delicately traced the thing that rested there, the cold, hard plastic.
“Lady Isabel. May I bring him home with me?”
“Whatever for?” She seemed shocked at the idea.
“I have read much about these new… prototypes… and I wish to learn more about them. And about their abilities,” she told her simply, gently tugging on one of my elbows to tell me that I could turn back around. I did so, and it appeared that the two ladies were having another conversation with their eyes. Not sure what I should do as they ‘discussed’, I tugged my shirt back on and waited patiently.
“Surely you have other staff that could take over for him, Lady Isabel?” Lady Aeros seemed determined to seal some sort of deal with My Lady. “I would certainly pay for the days that he misses. I’m sure it wouldn’t take long.”
“But Lady Aeros! Surely there are others you could examine?” My Lady seemed nervous. “One, perhaps, that you could buy yourself, if I may be so bold as to say so.”
The lady dismissed the comment with a wave of her hand. “No, no, I have my reasons as to why it must be this one. But if you insist that it must be one that I buy myself… may I be so forward as to ask what price you would take for him?”

eleison

I love this, the blend of scifi with vaguely farmilar arctypes and scenerios. The first mention of "upgrade" threw me for a complete loop.

Intricate_Icicle2197

Thank you.. here's the rest of what I have of it so far..

“This shall be your room,” I was told as a wooden door was pushed open for me by a gentleman who was clearly not only older physically, but an older model as well. I peeked around the door. It was small, with only one bed and a tall dresser. The single bed took me aback. “You are special to the Lady. There is no need for you to share a room with others,” he told me, as if he were reading my mind. I pushed the door open a little bit wider with my shoulder and edged in. The man followed behind me, placing my bag on the floor at the end of my bed. I bowed to him in thanks. He seemed shocked by this gesture but returned it nonetheless. “Lady Aeros has told me to tell you that you should be fully fed tomorrow, before three in the afternoon. I believe she is going to be testing you about that time. She will send someone for you when she is ready.” I nodded to say that I had understood. And with that, he left.
I looked around the small room, still hardly believing that it all belonged to me, and no one else. At least, until Lady Aeros decided that she had learned everything she could from me. In which case she would probably end up moving with the rest of her staff or selling me back to Lady Isabel. I shuddered, not wanting to think about that. I had not been here very long, but I could feel the differences in atmosphere between Lady Aeros’ estate and Lady Isabel’s. Lady Aeros’ seemed quite protected, and it was warmer.
I slumped onto the bed, tired but not, at the same time. I was physically tired from today. The Ladies had worn me down, emotionally as well. However, my mind was as active as ever. I was rarely mentally tired, however, after today’s discussions, I would not have been surprised if my mind had begun running a little slower than usual as well. I closed my eyes, feeling the room begin to spin. I couldn’t wait to eat tomorrow. It’d make me feel better, I was sure of it.

--

“Lady Aeros requests your presence in the front room in an hour. She also requests that you be fed before you come.” The words rang through my room surprisingly loudly, considering the man had just told me this through a six-inch thick wood door. Rubbing my eyes, I told him I understood and would be ready by then. I heard his him turn and leave, his footfalls echoing in the hallway outside my room. I sat up in bed and glanced around my room yet again, this time searching for the feeding unit. It was smaller than the one that Lady Isabel had had at her estate, but I was positive that it would work better and faster than hers. I walked over to the wall that it was installed on and traced it, the warmness of the plastic and the coolness of the metal surprising me.
I sighed and pulled off my shirt. Throwing it on my bed, or attempting to anyway – it ended up on the floor about four feet in front of it – I stretched out my sore back and then straightened back up. Twisting my neck to the side, I peered over my shoulder and backed up against the wall. The plastic on my back lined up with the plastic on the wall. The cool metal slid easily into me sending an explosion of goosebumps down my arms. Closing my eyes, I exhaled, and then took in a quick breath inward, beginning the transfer of information.
The data stream surged through me, every pore on my body felt electrified. I felt as though every bit of information known to man was suddenly flooding my mind. Most of it tasted older, as though I had already known it. Another wave of data cascaded over me, this wave tasting fresher, newer. I drank it in, feeling energized. The stream of data continued to flow for about ten minutes or so. My body felt loaded down with information by the end of the feeding session, and at the same time, I felt free as a bird. Jumping into the data stream always made me feel like a feather that someone has just tossed into the air – amazingly free of everything. I sighed happily and gently tugged myself free from the stream, the now-warm metal sliding out of me and freeing me from my spot on the wall.
As if in a daze, I headed over and grabbed my shirt off the floor. Turning it over in my hands I realized that this probably was not a good choice to wear to my testing, seeing as I had worn it to bed. Lady Aeros did not seem like a lady you addressed while in your nightshirt. I tossed it aside, this time it actually landed on my bed, and I rummaged through my bag, trying to find a different shirt to wear. Surely I had something that would work for this inspection-testing thing, right?
There was a knock at the door as I stood, shirtless, contemplating. My eyes widened. Had feeding really taken that long? Grabbing a shirt from the top of my bag I pulled it on and answered the door.

eleison

Feeding on data... has to be one of the coolest sounding things ever. I don't really have anything else to say at this point, only that I can hardly wait for more- which, I guess, is the goal of a story...

jesse

Your pacing is great: you only give the audience little bits of information at a time, making them constantly clamor for more. Good stuff! I wasn't sure what the gender of the narrator was at first, but I'm beginning to think it's better that way.

Is it just me, or are things in this story going to get... sexy?

<3

-Jesse

Intricate_Icicle2197

*laughs* Thanks. I have more to post, but, since I'm writing it out of order, I don't know if I can post it or not. ^^; Perhaps. I've actually got an idea as to where this story's going, which makes me happy. :D
...yeah, I'm weird. ^^;

And the confusion of the of narrator's gender was kind of sort of planned, so I'm glad it sort of kind of worked.. :D I may not even give the narrator a name. >.>; Maybe the LAST CHAPTER of the book I will. XD I have no idea, actually. I don't feel that a name is needed quite yet. We'll see..

Intricate_Icicle2197

Alright, here's some more of the story. We're kind of fast forwarding here. A lot. XD I don't know how to flow from the beginning to the middle... I'm planing on going back and working on that later... As of right now, I think I'll need more characters.. but they'll probably pop up in the middle that I can't write right now... and then I'll have to go back and add them in the later pieces that I've been writing now. ^^;
Anyway, Here's a little bit of the middle of the story...

Lady Aeros was sitting on the old stone wall that marked the edge of the forest, her posture as perfect as ever. She faced away, looking into the shadowed clustering of trees. Sure that she had been engrossed in her own thoughts, I nearly jumped when she spoke.
"I always come out here at sunset," she informed me matter-of-factly. I raised an eyebrow, and although she was still turned away, she answered my unspoken question as if she had seen the look on my face. "I don't like the sun. I like what it does to the forest. Here, come look."
Pulling myself up onto the wall, she didn't glance over at me, simply extended her arm and pointed at the ground. My eyes traveled down her arm and saw what she was talking about. The forest floor was amazing. Like a stained-glass window, a mosaic, a kaleidoscope. The floor was patterned in flashes of colored light and smatterings of shadow. As a gentle breeze pushed Lady Aeros' silken skirt into my legs, I noticed how the ground evolved. It seemed to transcend reality.
"Viuvreovi.." I whispered under my breath in the ancient language. Beautiful.
"Eekiik," Indeed. she responded, finally turning to look at me, her eyes sparkling wildly. My jaw dropped open. I nearly fell off the wall.
"H=how do you know that," I asked her, steadying myself with one hand grasping the wall. the other hand trembled outward, as if to touch her face. I thought she might disappear at any moment.
Lady Aeros' face broke into a small smile before she pushed herself off the wall, leaves crunching underfoot as she landed.
"That's for me to know... and you to find out," she replied in a soft voice as she sauntered off towards the house, her skirt swaying to-and-fro as she did.

---

I was still flabbergasted that night. Pacing my room I wondered what she could have meant. The word echoed through my head. "Eekiik".. "Indeed". Humans shouldn't know that word, that language. It was recorded in the databases. All hybrids had a copy of it on file... But how did Lady Aeros know it so fluently? I tried to make sense of it all, but it just didn't fit. Laying down, I decided I'd check it out after feeding tomorrow.

Colonel Fitzgordon

What I always loved most about the way you write this one is that you never come up and say "ooo! look at this thing which is a hack or robot which I'm totally pointing out for no other reason other than to prove that this is a science fiction!!! oooo!!!" Not doing that makes your stroy a hundred times stronger, and you do it very well. I love the little glimpses into their world, like the expensive color green. Bueno!

jesse

Okay, what the hell. You can't just give us a snippet from the middle of the story like that! It's cruel. I want the whole thing!

The "ancient language" (well, the two words of it you've got here) sounds really gorgeous, though. I read them a couple times out loud, savouring how they came off my tongue. Very nice.

<3

-Jesse