The Girl and Her Machine

Chapter 5- A Curious Meeting

    Dani had been awake for hours, slumping tiredly against the bedpost of her bed with her new project. In essence she found out that he was alive, and very much running. Parts of his body were wholly anatomically correct. A wire, gear, pump, valve equivalent, was nearly identical to a human one. At least as far as she knew. She touched his skin cupping his cheek. She couldn’t get over how natural and even warm it was despite it not being real flesh it still felt organic. She wondered how they could do that. She knew that there were some extreme fashions like grape skin leather, possibly that was what created the nearly symmetrical texture.
    She huffed, leaning back, her eyes wandering a bit dizzyingly as she settled in her spot with a sigh. She looked at it, at him, his dark hair and surreal tan skin with brilliant sky blue eyes. In all that effort to make him look like a normal human being they didn’t hesitate to give him odd, even striking colorations. 
    “Maybe they wanted to warn people that he was dangerous like brightly colored frogs are.” She murmured chuckling, though a robot frog would be an entirely different scenario. She knew that she was a bit hypocritical about his colors. There was one feature she knew about herself was odd, that being soft violet colored eyes due to a phenotype not expressing itself correctly. Many people she knew made comments about it, but if she had a choice she’d change to a warm brown like Jameson’s. 
    She swallowed her heart fluttering by the thought of his name. She hadn’t seen him in a while, though they had a friendly type of relationship she knew her emotions were completely one sided, she couldn’t help but enjoy his company and stories. Though many other prettier filly’s did. She scoffed lightly, with Charlie whizzing cautiously to her side. “ I think it’s best for you to take a rest for now. Sleep, have some tea or relax.” She sipped from her canteen, which was military in fashion, the cool water clearing her fogged and well worn mind at this hour. 
    “ Alright Charlie, best to take a stroll,” She sighed. Feeling a bit odd though, leaving a robot behind on her bed would be normal in other circumstances, however, when said robot looks like a young man as this...unladylike would be the most pleasing word someone would say. 

    She lifted the bed sheet to cover him while she gnawed her bottom lip mulling over the perplexing situation. It was then that her large and wooden bedroom door creaked open on its old hinges, revealing an astonished and nearly fainted Raelle. 
    She leaned into the wall pressing her hand into it for her support.
“ Danielle Celeste Leathersby, by what means do you have a young man hiding in your bedroom!?” She squealed eyes wide with horror.
    “ Raelle, shhh! Raelle!” Dani hushed, dropping the linens and rushing to her side. “ It’s not what you think, close the door!” Dani managed to support her friend while she clumsily closed the door behind her. A few startled heads from the maids and other guests made their turn to look where the noise came from. 
    “ What do you mean it’s not what it looks like?” she hissed her eyes settled on her the hysteria that almost took her obvious. 
    Dani drew her friend to the bed and lifted the sheet, her friend Raelle wondered if she should put up a fight, this was terrible terrible manners. 
    “It’s not human,” Dani whispered revealing the metal insides of her latest project. 
“ He’s not...what...how...but he…” Raelle’s  face paled her hand reached to touch his cheeks and lift his eyelids. Her fingers brushed his hair and she stared in awe, wonder, but with nerves wrangled in one body. She didn’t know what to make of it, she withdrew her hand and her face a bit contourted from the mounting mixture of emotions. “ Regardless of him being a robot or not, he can’t stay in your bed Dani. It just isn’t right.” 
    Dani nodded knowingly a bit sheepish, “ I put him there out of habit. It’s my normal workspace of other things so I didn’t make much thought of it until just before you opened the door. I’ll need to have a work table sent to my room,” she sighed. “ Unless,” She glanced up to Raelle, “ Unless we can bring in a table ourselves.” 
    Raelle, crossed her arms and her shoulders squared, “ Both you and I know that’s not going to be feasible especially with me in this dress. Half of the tables here need to be carried by four people anyways regardless of the flights of stairs in order to get in here.”
    “ I guess you’re right,  we could always ask the servants for help but I’m not sure if their reactions would be much better,” She breathed, Raelle lifted the sheet back over the robot and looked at her.” Then we should put him in another room.”
    “ That sounds reasonable but…” she glanced at her. “ Why were you coming in anyways Raelle? Was there something you needed to tell me?” 
    Her face lit at that moment a sly smile curled her lips, a feature that wasn’t seen often on such a wholesome creature. “ Madam Bellaruse is here.” Dani shook her head, having manners enough to not curse at her plight. “ She had asked me to come get you, she is waiting in the foyer off in the main hall.” Dani ran her hands through her hair. She had worked hard, she hadn’t realized so much time had flown by while she  studied it..him. Him, why did she have such a hard time calling him... him? Charlie wasn’t nearly the same issue. Why was this so different?” 
    She nodded, feeling the bags underneath her eyes as she moved with Raelle but not before locking the door behind her. “ Usually they send a maid to request that I be in proper attire.” She sighed as the both of them strode quickly through the carpeted floor. “ I wondered why it wasn’t so, maybe Jack spared her the details.” Dani smirked though it fell with Raelle’s rebuttal, “ Maybe your reputation had finally stopped preceding you. Or she found that you wouldn’t be intimidating at all,” She chuckled cupping her hands behind her back, walking almost gliding as if she was stepping to a waltz. Dani however, trudged forward with heavy gooting her boots hit hard against the floor. Goodness she needed something to wake her up, or go to sleep. Madam Bellaruse couldn’t have come at a worse time. 
    She walked down the grand set of stairs and landed in the main foyer, spacious, beautiful, simple with wood flooring but marble pillars wiyh happy tonal painted walls finished with a rather expansive and brilliant chandelier. 
    Madam Bellaruse stood, she was taller than Dani but not by much as she turned to her.  Her auburn hair in a low tidy bun, hazel eyes, freckles dotted almost all of her features. She wore a quilted green and whiteskirt that cinched around the waist with wooden hand carved  buttons. A billowy blouse top that cuffed at the sleeves and neck with a brooch that sat proudly on her bosom. A  sunhat tilted on top of her head the same deep green with a small white plume and lace around the center. She, Madam Bellaruse, was the epitome of simplistic perfection. Something Dani valued. 
    “ Madam Bellaruse, this is Danielle, the Mistress of the house.” Raelle introduced. “ It is a pleasure to meet you, Madam Bellaruse.” Dani curseyed tugging on the extra fabric of her trousers, her boots awkwardly angled for the greeting. 
    Despite that, the Madame smiled, “ It’s a pleasure to meet you Dani, your brother has written me saying that that is your preferred name is it not?” Her voice carried a thick accent that could be placed from the northern isles that resounded like a melody. The air about her smelled of mist and ocean spray. 
    “ Why yes Madam it-it is much appreciated,” 
“Aye, right then Miss Dani. Now is the proper time to make you a lady then,” She grinned hazel eyes sparkling.” Dani nodded, eagerly enticed to listen to her words, the foreign accent beautiful to her. “ How far did you travel Madam Bellaruse?” Dani asked, a servant started to pick up the bag but Dani waved them off, and motioned for Raelle to pick up the smaller one as Dani took the larger in her clutches. It, albeit being a large and bulky item, felt very light. 
    “ I assume that you have arrangements for staying here then?” Raelle asked, “ Aye you’re right on that Miss Raelle, and I’ve traveled far, very far to meet you and train you Miss Dani, I’ve come across the frosted shores of Limerick, an icy piece of island off the mainland of the Northern Isles. “    
    Dani in awe listened to her. Madame Bellaruse seemed to float, her heels didn’t click across the floor as she walked gracefully. She glanced down to see her shoes, and out of astonishment saw very short stub instead of the long spindly ones most people had for their heels. “ I see that fashion is different from where you’re from.” Dani eyed her, Raelle popped her in the waist with her boney elbow, “ That’s not very polite to say,” She hissed leaning into her ear. 
    “Raelle, don’t mind her, that is a grand observation and truth. Yes, the fashion where I come from is very different. We focus on comfort, durability, and utility of our clothes. I can farm and harvest crops in this outfit, hike a hill in a blizzard, and climb ropes on the mizzen mast of a grand sailing ship. I’ve done it, and can do it again because of what I’ve said before.” Her speech rolled on. A bright beam of a smile flashed across Dani’s face as Raelle gave her a startled glance. “ It seems that you were meant to be Dani’s trainer.” Madame Bellaruse chuckled, her gloved hand hiding her lips as she did. 
    “That it does seem doesn’t it.” The three of them halted at her door, Raelle opening it for her, as Dani waited for Madame to step inside. They set her items just inside the doorway of her lovely suit. Smaller than Dani’s but just as cozy with a nice fireplace, a small library, an oversized plush green chair to be enjoyed in the light of the large window that spanned the width of one side of the room with a queen canopy bed to pull it all together. 
    Madame Bellaruse closed her eyes, extended her arms and breathed in. “ An old smell, a nice smell your home has. It’s good to finally be still but I will miss the ocean, aye, a pretty sight that was.” 
    She turned to the both of them. “ Well I guess that was a good greeting as any other, Dani. I would like some time to prepare your first lesson on how to be a lady, though if you have questions while I unpack and settle in, you’re more than welcome.” 
She gathered both of her bags and rested them on the bed opening them. While her back was turned she reached to fidget with the back of her bustle and pulled out a Leathersby pistol, in the old flintlock style accented in brass with a hand carved wooden handle. 
    “ Ma-Madame,” Raelle stuttered as Dani squealed, that pistol was one of Dani’s favorite projects and a hail back to the world's ancient days when the world was called Earth instead of Rhea. 
    “ You’re very well armed for a proper lady Madame Bellaruse,” 
“ Aye, that's not all,” she chuckled as she propped her leg on the edge of the bed frame. She lifted her skirt to reveal her calf, a holster for another pistol strapped to the outside and a knife tucked behind it. It was obvious the strap was custom made,” This holster is a creation I’ve made overseas but many lasses that have taken to the water nomadic life have it as well. I guess one could say that it is a very popular bit of fashion.” 
    Dani couldn’t seem to grasp it quite yet, but that smile was more than just that. A smirk, if she willed to put the word to it but that wasn’t quite right either. There was something exhilarating about her, a breath of fresh air.    
    “And have you traveled the ocean seas very often in this style?” Raelle asked her brows knitted together deep in curious thought. 
    Madame turned, catching Raelle’s cautious tone, Dani bit her lip wondering if Raelle was treading into deep waters with these questions. Most professionals, especially those that are successful, all have their secrets. Dani knew this, it was a fact that sometimes for her was very hard to swallow. Some of these secrets could be especially dark. That was something Zacharias had revealed to her before, in one of their previous secret meetings.
    Madam Bellaruse’s musical voice strained a bit, a weariness crept in as her eyes settled on Raelle, “ Aye, I have taken to that life for a time, but not as one expects,” She said choosingly a sharpness to her look that steadied Raelles questions from pushing any further. 
    “ I-I-I have to go,” Raelle said, promptly excusing herself, she scurried away without another word, Dani wondered where as well as why she didn’t take her along. 
“Little Lass, are ye desperate to go as well?” Madame said ruffling her skirts back down to cover said weapons, it was then that it occured to Dani that this Madame Bellaruse person was an extremely dangerous character that she was alone in a room with. Dani swallowed, stuffing her hands into her pockets so she could fiddle with a loose nut and some lint that was tucked away in there. 
    “ Not at all,” She breathed, though her heart patted errantly.
Madame smiled, “ Good, good.” She said, clearing her throat.
    “ However I do have a few rules Miss Dani, and I will not abuse them,” She said, turning to her fully her hands cupped together behind her back. “ I will respect you as long as you respect me. This will not and should not be the case to everyone you meet for not everyone treats others respectfully and therefore cannot demand respect. However, in this case, I am your teacher and for the best teaching and learning conditions, I will respect you as well. Is that clear?” 
    Dani nodded curtly, that was more than fair. “ Also, we need to establish trust, however the connection our trust is made will deepen with time together, but I will trust you not to do anything that will put me, your teacher in harm's way. I vow as your teacher to do the same for you. Finally, there may be times in the future where I will ask you to do something within reason without explanation, in those times you will need to trust me to do so. However, I extend that responsibility to you as well young Dani. There may be times you need to ask me to do something, and I will do it, within reason. Is that clear and is that fair?” 
    “ Yes Madame Bellaruse, more than I expected. Under other circumstances I would say what you ask is rather precarious.” She uttered though her voice steady, Madame held up her finger. 
    “ One last one Dani before I’m through.” She said her hazel eyes hard as she focused on her. Dani through the mere pressure of her gaze stepped back making more space between the two. Thoughts ran through her mind, plotting some sort of safety strategy if things went wrong. Charlie was there right? If anything went wrong then he would immediately contact Jack. It’s alright, everything was fine. 
Madame Bellaruse relieved the silence,“ Ye need to be honest in your dealings with me Dani, I’m sure ye in yer position know that integrity is a key factor for long lasting success in business and for individuals. If ye can keep to these, then you’ll learn quickly and possibly be fast friends.” 
    Dani’s shoulders slumped from the sudden release from the pressured situation. She wondered inwardly if that was some sort of test. 
    “ Ye got nerves of steel Dani, but best ye fetch something to eat and find your friend before she gets too worried about ye.” 
    Dani nodded, and curtseyed, tugging on her trousers once again as she chewed the inside of her cheek. Madame returned the curtsey with a nod and Dani made her way out, her brain scrambled. She knew that her brother was the one that requested her presence, and wouldn’t have done so if there wasn’t serious contemplation of said integrity of Madame Bellaruse. She knew, however, there was something to be said about Madame’s four rules. They were, at the very least, peculiar, and at most dangerous. Though Dani hadn’t personally experienced anything that could be considered traumatizing or life changing betrayal, she thought of others circumstances where they had no such luck. Even so in the business that they had suffered lost trust over leaks of design to competitors or stolen goods for black market sales. But all those were trusts in the business, trust of employees. It was never a personal request to do something, without question. Even with the considerations and the request of having integrity, just what circumstances would  happen to necessitate such an action, and what would the action be?
    This by any means, was the cause of some troubled thinking, the worry prominent on her features as she bumped into the back of someone familiar. With wide, tired eyes that begged for sleep, they were lit with joy as the man turned around with his trademark dashing smile.