“There is one more thing,” I said, “about Remilia.”
“...”
It was hard to tell if she was interested in what I had to say. Unlike with Kagerou, I couldn’t see a face and, therefore, her expressions. No emotions or thoughts leaked either, making her perfectly inscrutable. Even what little I could feel about her environment was so faint, so distant that it might as well be unreal. How much that was an effect of the magic that allowed us to talk in the first place and how much of it was her unwillingness to allow me free rein was unclear.
I told her about Remilia’s drinking, how she had started early and had kept it up until collapse. How she wagged her tongue freely and how she had to be carried to bed. Sakuya didn’t say a thing, letting me add as much detail as I felt necessary.
“Is that all?” she asked after I ran out of details to share.
“Yes.”
“I see.”
“...is this something I should worry about?” I asked, finding myself a little frustrated at the lack of reaction.
“Only if she starts singing,” Sakuya replied.
“Singing? What’s wrong with that?”
“...hopefully you won’t ever find out,” Sakuya said flatly but just then, for the briefest of moments, I could almost picture a smile flashing across an otherwise undefined face.
“Well, anything I can do if I even do get to experience the pleasure?” I asked, trying to coax more emotion out of her.
“Pray and atone for your sins,” she stated like it was an entirely reasonable course of action. Without missing a beat, she moved on, “Good luck either way. I’ll expect another report in a few days.”
“Will do, goodbye.”
“...goodbye,” she echoed softly. The ‘call’ didn’t end right away. I could feel Sakuya lingering on the other side for a few more moments until someone took a deep breath. I couldn’t discard it was just me imagining myself having lungs again.
For the next several hours I withdrew into my own world. Mercifully, I had a few ways to entertain myself. It wasn’t quite the regular internet, but I had some sort of connection to a wider network of… something. I wasn’t sure if it was others like me or something else entirely but I could access information and share opinions on things. Most of it was inane, much like the regular internet, but there were actual communities discussing everything from how to make the best drinks to how much they hated their bosses. Even if they were just like me and weren't normal people, I wasn’t about to go around sending messages about my true condition. I whiled away the time chatting to people about music, games and my other hobbies back from when I had a body.
Time tends to fly when you’re not doing anything in particular. At some point the sun had come up and Kagerou barely noticed. Clearly not a morning person by any definition. She had rolled around several times during the night and had an arm hanging off the side of the bed when there was a knock at the door. She barely reacted.
Some time passed and there was another light rapping at the door.
More time, another knock. Still nothing. A quarter hour passed. Another knock, followed by the door opening.
“Miss Kagerou?” Ana cautiously called out. She came closer to the bed and stood there silently, as if unsure what to do next. “Miss Kagerou, please wake up.”
“Mmmrrph...” Kagerou let out a soft growl. A warning, no doubt.
“...” the fairy stayed quiet for a few more moments.
I was bored by the whole interaction. “Hey, wolfie, wake up,” I said firmly, “rise and shine, people need you.”
Kagerou growled again, baring her teeth though her eyes remained closed. Ana took a step back, rightly feeling that it was a potentially dangerous situation. “I’m sorry...” she said quietly, retracing her steps.
“Come on, wake up!” I was less gentle, “Wake the hell up!”
That did it. Kagerou sprang up in bed like she had been struck by lightning. She was on all fours, ears sharp, teeth displayed and hairs standing on end. A deeper growl came forth as she looked around for the interlopers that had dared to disturb her sleep. If I had had a body, the lesson there would have been: ‘let sleeping werewolves lie’. And though
I wasn’t afraid of her, she scared the fairy maid senseless.
Ana fell on her rear at the sight of Kagerou reacting like a lunatic. She crawled away swiftly, at a complete loss for words. Her wings fluttered as if she wanted to take actual flight to get away.
“Calm down,” I tried to get Kagerou under control, “remember where you are.”
Kagerou growled again but seemed to take my advice to heart. She sniffed around before looking down at the bed, at her arms and pajamas and then at the rest of the room. Her ears wiggled down to a less aggressive posture but she remained on edge as she got off the bed and stood on two legs. She spotted the nearby fairy, who hadn’t quite made it back to the door, and frowned.
“You scared the shit out of her,” I told her.
“...mmm” she grunted, still struggling to find her words.
“Apologize before she has a heart attack.”
Kagerou closed her eyes. She rotated her shoulders, releasing some of the tension there and sighed. “Stop running away,” she said simply.
Ana paused her scramble, like a deer caught in headlights. Her face was a pale mess of emotions and she was still quivering from the shock.
“I’m… um, sorry,” Kagerou slowly became civilized once again, “I didn’t mean to… you see… well and uh, sorry about that.”
“I didn’t meant to make you angry!” the fairy explained with tears in her eyes.
“Oh boy, you made a cute and innocent fairy cry, hope you’re proud of yourself,” I couldn’t help but rub it in.
“Shut up!” she snapped, remembering the pendant she was carrying and, by extension, me.
It did seem that she did forget that only she could hear me. Ana reacted poorly to Kagerou’s outburst. If she had only been half-scared to death, the fairy was now completely emotionally collapsed.
“Nice going!” I certainly didn’t help things with that. But it was fun to watch. Kagerou remembered something really important just then. The mental image she showed me of what she wanted me to do was equally unhelpful.
“I didn’t mean you—it’s… well, sorry again,” Kagerou tried her best to remain calm. “Look, stop crying, I promise I won’t yell again.”
The fairy flinched as Kagerou took a few steps closer, arms open in a non-threatening gesture.
“The big bad wolf is now approaching to eat up her latest victim whole, bones and all,” I commented, trying to explain what the scene probably looked like to the fairy.
“Okay, listen, I’m going to sit down and you can get up and do whatever you want,” Kagerou halted and did just that. “Once again, I’m sorry, it was just a big misunderstanding.”
Ana was understandably skeptical. Wiping away her tears with her blouse, she slowly mustered the courage to stand again. She observed Kagerou carefully, ever ready for any sudden movements.
“Listen, I don’t really deal well with new environments and I forgot where I was,” Kagerou tried to explain to the skittish fairy, “it won’t happen again, please believe me.”
“...okay,” Ana said, nodding. She kept her distance, with a clear line to the door but looked a little more convinced that she wasn’t going to be assaulted by a marauding werewolf.
“So, I take it you need something from me?” Kagerou asked, trying to hold back a yawn. With the adrenaline gone, she was back to being a sleepy creature with droopy ears.
“I just-” the fairy looked hesitant to bring up whatever it was. She still didn’t know how Kagerou would react. “Well, I did what you asked,” she said.
“Oh?”
“I called a meeting of the other leaders… and they’ve, um, been waiting for a while to see you.”
“Ah, I see. I’ll be along as soon as I get dressed.”
“Oh, okay,” the fairy nodded, “they’re downstairs by the main entrance.”
“Thank you for letting me know, you may go now.”
The fairy maid curtsied and left hastily. Smart girl. Didn’t want to push her luck. “Hopefully it won’t be like this every morning,” I said.
“Shut up, Al. Not in the mood,” Kagerou frowned and got to it. She changed quickly and drew open the curtains. It was a nice day out: there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. It was still before noon but not by much. Late to bed, late to rise—that was the only way to realistically keep up with a vampire.
Kagerou got dressed quickly and made her way down to the front entrance. Five fairies were assembled by the door, looking expectantly at her. Though their basic designs were similar, they each wore a different color of uniform with several variations; a couple had thick aprons on, others longer skirts and still one carried a satchel with her.
“It’s about time!” a maid in yellow, with dark short hair didn’t hide her feelings at all. She was the one with the satchel.
“Sophie, mind your manners!” Ana snapped at her, mortified.
“It’s alright,” Kagerou smiled, a perfect picture of serenity. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. I won’t take much more of your time. I simply wanted to meet you and know who I would be working with during my time here. I’m Kagerou, the new head maid.”
“Right, right,” Sophie wasted no time introducing herself, “Sophie, Head of Auxiliary. I keep things smooth: doors greased, storage spaces organized and do the type of work the other fairies think they’re too good for. Sakuya wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Kagerou remarked.
“I’m Emily,” another maid piped up. This one wore black and had a thin white apron on. She wore glasses and her dark brown hair was done up with a ponytail. “Head of Cleaning. My job never ends. There’s always something to clean. Please to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Kagerou flashed another smile as Emily curtsied.
“Huh, I guess I’m next,” a girl with lighter brown hair spoke up. She wore dark green and her skirt was also longer, about ankle-length. She also had an apron on but it was more rugged than Emily’s. She didn’t seem either deferential or hostile and acted incredibly relaxed, “I take care of the gardening. If you really need to, call me Mary.”
“Sonia,” the last of the maids cut in. She was the one in a dark reddish-brown uniform and with a similar color of hair. It was a similar to Ana’s in design except that she wore a long apron that extended past the short skirt. “I’m in the kitchen most of the day. You let me know what you need and when, and we’ll have it cooked.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Kagerou said. She praised Sonia, “I had the pleasure of trying your cooking last night, as Lady Remilia shared her food with me. It was really good.”
Sonia nodded and crossed her arms. It was a prideful gesture that seemed to say: “of course it was delicious”.
“Well, you’ve already met me,” Ana piped up nervously, “but I’m the new head of service and I attend to our Mistress’ every need and that of her guests. Every fairy is also supposed to do their part for security but in practice...”
“Not everyone is brave enough to stand and fight,” Mary said with a giggle, “but Miss Sakuya usually does such a good job that we don’t really need to worry.”
“I’ll be trying my best on that front, too,” Kagerou said. She was likely going to bring up the incident with Marisa but didn’t get the chance.
“That’s great. Now that we’re friends, can I get back to work?” Sophie interjected.
“Yes, that would be best,” Kagerou said, adding a final comment, “feel free to talk to me if you ever need anything. I’ll do my best to see that you get what you need.”
With that, the group dispersed. Only Ana and Sonia remained behind.
“It’s late but I could still make you breakfast if you like,” Sonia volunteered.
“That would be lovely, thank you,” Kagerou said. Sonia nodded and went away towards the kitchen.
“I’m sure that they don’t mean to be disrespectful,” Ana made excuses for them, “they’re just not trained like I am.”
“It’s fine,” Kagerou shrugged, “I was told that too much formality was a bad thing recently. I’m sure it applies here as well.”
“O-of course!” Ana still didn’t really know how to deal with Kagerou. It felt like she was dangerously close to pouting but somehow she kept herself in check. “I’m sure your breakfast will be ready soon. You may take it wherever you like. I have no problem taking it to your room.”
“If it’s alright, I’ll be in the dining room where Lady Remilia ate last night,” Kagerou stated.
“Sure, no problem at all!” Ana beamed, “I’ll make sure everything is going smoothly in the kitchen.”
“...don’t push yourself,” Kagerou said quietly. Ana had turned and left without waiting for another prompt, making it doubtful she had heard her at all.
We returned to the smaller dining room upstairs and waited. In the daylight, the view from the window lived up to expectations. It captured parts of the garden, with its mix of blooming flowers and decorative statues, and the landscape beyond—forest, lake and mountains off in the distance. Kagerou set a place for herself and sat and stared out, deep in thought.
It didn’t take very long for Ana to reappear, carrying a tray of food. Scrambled eggs and toast. A classic. “It may not look like much,” she noted, “but we’ve perfected a technique that was passed down from an interesting traveler that came here several years ago. You won’t be disappointed.”
“Thank you, Ana,” Kagerou dismissed her with a smile. She ate the meal with relish, though with much less voracity than the preceding evening. The eggs were fluffy and retained just the right amount of moisture. They really went well with the lightly-toasted bread.
“So, are you ready for another day of work?” I asked her as she finished her last bites.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she replied, showing none of the tension from earlier. For all intents and purposes she had fully gotten over the shock of waking up.
I had a list of duties that she was supposed to attend to during the course of the week. It would be best to do one of the more urgent ones first. I discarded supervising the fairies to make sure they didn’t slack off partly because things seemed fine for now and partly because I was sick of dealing with them.
Probably something more time-consuming that couldn’t be done at any moment would be best. Every resident, fairies included, needed to eat and that meant regular trips into the village for supplies. Taking care of that before the stores got too low was important. It was a job for more than one person, as well, just from the sheer amount of things that needed to be bought and carted around.
Making sure that there were no undiscovered security breaches was likewise vital. Marisa may have been an invited guest but the large grounds and the riches within the mansion drew the attention of all sorts of people, many of them shady. There was ample opportunity to undermine a wall or fence. And the large lake that led right up to the garden was a particularly large security concern and needed to be watched.
[] Go get fresh produce and supplies from the village.
[] See to the security of the mansion.
Time remaining: :: Timer ended at: 2018/11/14(Wed)13:00