“I can’t believe The Duchess made me babysit you.” Athena sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her hair, usually tied in a bun, was starting to get messy and undone. “I hope that meeting ends soon.”
“I do not require assistance -” The automaton clasped its hands in a smooth movement. - “I was told gesturing helps to improve communication. I am communicating properly?”
Athena rolled her eyes. While extremely impressive, an automaton being capable of assimilating new information and incorporating it into their own data was a huge nuisance. In her eyes, it was like trying to reason with an extremely stubborn child.
“I will take your silence as a positive.” Cogsworth turns its body and resumes its activities, walking around the garden. As the automaton walked in a rhythmic pacing, almost like it was taking a stroll, the steward followed closely while swearing under her breath.
“Is this interesting? -” Cogsworth pointed towards a statue of a person in an action pose, holding a bow and arrow - “The Duchess told me to find something interesting.”
While she was aware of what The Duchess said, the fact that a machine was asking something with such deliberation was messing with her understanding of how automatons work. The only automatons she had dealt before with were staff, programmed to only respond with a few lines and carry things around. Cogsworth was a gift for The Duchess that was introduced to the rest of the manor only a few weeks ago, so not much was known about the machine.
“Well, yes.” She replied. “It was sculpted a couple of years ago by a very famous artist. It depicts a hunter ready to strike, or so I was told.”
Cogsworth nodded and tried to pick up the statue, grabbing it by the sides. Athena tried to stop the automaton, panicked, when she noticed the grip was crushing the marble.
“You can’t just take it!” she blurted out. “You’ll break it!”
“I thought The Duchess might like it.” Cogsworth replied, its arms still up.
“She does. That’s why it’s here. It’s where it needs to be.” Athena replied, gently removing the automaton hands off the statue.
Cogsworth simply resumed its walk. She tried to fix her uniform before following, but she gave in to the stress and didn’t bother to finish tucking her shirt or even fix her coat. Usually, dealing with the staff was a nightmare, but somehow, this was worse.
“I detect an elevated heart rate -” the automaton stops and turns abruptly - “are you distressed, Miss Athena?”
For a second, her stern expression faded. She whimpered and jumped, before quickly recomposing.
“I-I’m fine!”
Albeit stressing, what started with a seemingly stupid and inocuous task was making Athena’s curiosity grow by the minute. She walked behind the automaton in silence, observing each odd behavior and mannerism. It was like watching a thousand different people compacted in an awkward little husk.
From time-to-time, a staff member would peek and try to understand what was happening, only to be shunned away with a glance that could only described as a hawk ready to snatch a bunny in a prairie. The smart ones knew to not disturb Athena and kept out of their way.
After a few minutes, the automaton resorted to stand still and turn its head around, scanning the environment.
“It looks different.” The automaton stated. “There is a painting of this place in The Duchess’s quarters, but it doesn’t look like this.”
“Well, of course,” Athena explained, “things change with time. That painting was made over a decade ago.”
As Cogsworth stood there, measuring its next words, a butterfly approached. It flew by its face, then arms, before landing in its hand. Slowly, the automaton raised the butterfly to eye level. The creature soon took flight again, the gaze of the machine following its path.
“Did you change?” The piercing yellow mechanical eyes met her tired gaze.
“Yes. I didn’t have these wrinkles or gray hairs a decade ago. -” she ran her fingers over her hair, her mind lost in thought. - “It’s part of being who we are. I’m almost forty-two now. It's half of a lifetime for many.”
The automaton nodded. As the weather shifted and a few droplets of rain started to fall, Cogsworth raised its hand again, now mimicking some behavior learned a long time ago. Athena looked at the machine with a frown.
“There’s no need for concern. I was made to sustain water damage.” Cogsworth explained, turning its head to the sky. “And besides, she loves the rain.”
Athena raised her head. A silhouette observed from a balcony above.
“That meeting is probably over by now.” she muttered to the silhouette. “You should get inside, you’ll catch a cold if you stay out in the rain.”
“I am unable to ‘catch a cold.’” Cogsworth turned its head towards her again.
Athena chuckled.
After a long while, Cogsworth finally decided to get inside. Athena followed, her uniform slightly wet. While the rain didn’t really started until much later that day, the droplets were enough to make her want to dry up.
“I need to change.” She said, looking at her clothes. “Can you please wait for me here?”
“Affirmative. -” The automaton repeated the same gesture from before, clasping its hands, leaning a bit forward this time. -“I am communicating properly.”
Athena dismissed Cogsworth and moved quickly, trying to avoid as many of the staff as possible, walking into one of the many dressing rooms to pick a freshly cleaned uniform. She is absorbed in thought, thinking about the automaton she’s been observing the whole day.
She removed the coat, unbuttoned her shirt and removed her bra. She muttered something under her breath, holding her abdomen and pressing against an old wound. She was very fit, with defined muscles and a great shape, not very common for a steward and more akin of a high ranking duelist or sword for hire.
“This thing is hurting again.” She sighed. “I think I should stop working this much.”
She heard a weird shuffle in the corner of the room. Athena raised her eyes to met a very red-faced maid who was standing in the corner, staring at her half-naked body. The poor girl felt rather intimidated and yet attracted to her form. Athena immediately recognized this flustered and meek girl, since the same has been in her sights for some time.
“I-im so sorry, Miss Athena!” she blurted out. “I just came in to grab some things to take to The Duchess’s quarters and… I didn’t mean to walk in on you, even though you was the one who walked in and….”
She covered her eyes and faced the nearest wall. Athena couldn’t help to smile to herself.
“It’s Ok, Miss Bauni.” she replied, a clean shirt already in hands. “I just caught a little rain.”
She dressed up and stood there, hand in her waist. Bauni took a few deep breaths and turned around, only to be faced with a tight shirt pressing against Athena’s skin. Her head spun as she quickly gathered sheets, pillowcases and towels, throwing everything into a basket while trying her best to not feel intimidated.
“I was nice to see you, Bauni.” she locked eyes with the maid. “I hope we can chat later.”
“S-sure! I mean… If it’s not inconvenient or anything.” Bauni replied, holding the large basket with such a grip the plastic could break at any minute.
“It should be fun.” Athena smiled.
Bauni quickly walked away, her face looking as red as a tomato. She knew Athena didn’t like to smile much, so when she received a genuinely kind smile, her heart melt.
Athena finished dressing up with a happy hum.
Cogsworth stood exactly where Athena told it to, much for the curiosity of the staff. Some would pass by and talk for a while, amused or curious, as the automaton waved and responded. As soon as they heard the stomping boots marching down the corridor, they scurried away.
“Hello. -” Cogsworth waved. - “I’ve made many friends while you were away.”
Athena felt a bit annoyed that the staff would simply start to fool around at the first opportunity, but right now, she just wanted to rest. She tapped Cogsworth in the back and gestured with her head.
“Come on. The Duchess is probably waiting for you.” - She started to walk back to the main quarters, Cogsworth following behind, looking at its hand and mimicking the tap it received.
They stopped by the main entrance and the automaton tilted its head.
“I guess you should return to your duties, Cogsworth.” she said.
The automaton nodded. As she went to open the door for Cogsworth, Bauni opened it from inside. She still looked a bit flustered while passing by Athena with a quick and more formal greeting.
“I detect an elevated heart rate.” Cogsworth kept by the door. "Should I warn the nurse staff?"
“It’s nothing to worry about.” Athena dismissed the automaton again, holding the door open while watching the poor maid run away like a scared mice. The automaton walked in, turned around and made a single wave gesture, signaling a goodbye. Cogsworth returned to a neutral position, hands together, before disappearing inside the quarters.
As she closed the door, she decided to try the library. Something about that automaton made her curiosity peak. So similar in design to the many machines roaming the manor, but at the same time, almost human in the way it mimicked the information, learning with each interaction.
Athena was moving quick while thinking if some of the old manuals could have some information that explained how it was possible that Cogsworth had such advanced features. When she realized she was lost in thought, she was already at the library’s door. She tried the handle, but it was locked. Strangely, some of the lights were on.
“I guess I’ll have a talk with those two by the morning.” She muttered to herself, walking back towards her quarters.
Athena walked inside her room with her head down, locked the door and sighed again. She was tired and yearning a good, long bath. When she turned around, she was met with Bauni standing rather awkwardly in the middle of the room.
“Hello, Miss Bauni.” She raised an eyebrow, curiosity taking over her.
“H-hello! I was just passing by and decided to say hi, but you weren’t here, so I waited and -” She was stopped mid-mumbling.
“Take a deep breath and start again.” Athena had a worried expression in her face.
Bauni closed her eyes and calmed down. She was still rather flustered and tried to think about what to say for way too long before finally getting ready.
“Well, I’m sorry. I didn’t meant to peek on you. -” she was trying to control a burst of anxiety, quietly shaking her right leg while her shoe hit repeatedly against the carpet - “You just walked in and I didn’t had any time to warn you I was there.”
“I told you it’s Ok,” Athena replied, “and you didn’t do it on purpose.”
“I-I know!” Bauni blurted out. “But it’s only fair we stand in a similar ground.”
“What are you talking ab-” Athena stopped when she saw the maid remove her top.
Athena’s face got red as she admired the plump body in front of her, while Bauni felt embarrassed exposing her body like this. She had rather thick thighs and a bigger sized chest, accompanied by a few stomach rolls that Athena could only describe as lovely in retrospect.
“O-oh!” Athena replied in surprise as Bauni turned her face away in embarrassment. “You didn’t need to do this.”
Bauni turned around, flustered, trying to dress up again. Athena smiled and a thought crossed her mind. Bauni was working for almost two years in The Duchess’s manor and Athena had took an interest in her, keeping a close eye in the maid.
“Are you dating, Miss Bauni?” Athena asks rather bluntly. The poor girl jumps in place.
“W-well, no.” She blurts out, still fumbling with her clothes.
“Weird. Such a lovely lady without anyone.” Athena provokes, raising her eyebrow. “Do you have a romantic interest, perhaps?”
“O-of course!” A thread of courage reins over Bauni. “I came here, didn’t I?”
“And you don’t care that I’m almost a decade older than you?” Athena rests her hand in her hip. “You can find a younger partner, you know.”
Bauni turns around after haphazardly buttoning her shirt again. She’s still extremely anxious, trying to think what to do. She decides to pour her heart out.
“W-well, when I started here, I saw the way you organized and kept the manor flowing. I was impressed by your skills,” she starts, “and that admiration turned into…. Feelings. I-I like you. A lot. And we are both adults.”
“Ok.” Athena took a deep breath, before recomposing herself. “What do you think about we grab something to eat in the city later?”
“Are you inviting me for dinner?” Bauni felt her head spin again.
Athena started to undress, throwing her clothes by the door. Bauni stood there, unable to process.
“I’m inviting you for breakfast.” She walked towards the bathroom door. “But now I need a long bath. Be sure to grab a towel, they are in the leftmost drawer, if you wish to join me.”
She smiled and walked inside, leaving the poor maid to melt in thought as she turned the water on.
END
