Curiosity killed the maid (Closed)

[broomstix]

Ada heard the crunch of gravel outside the large window of her office and turned around in her black leather office chair to see a figure hurrying towards the personnel entrance. Ah. That had to be the new maid. It was so hard to get good personnel these days. Too expensive, too lazy, too curious. That last one annoyed her especially. But the smart ones were always too nosy, and the discreet ones too dumb. She sighed as she turned back to her work.

A strong woman in her mid-thirties, she looked as aristocratic as she actually was. Her black hair was shoulder-length, her aquiline face with the grey eyes dignified and somewhat intimidating. Her dark grey business costume was a conservative choice and not at all revealing - but it still gave more enough hints that there was plenty to reveal beneath it. She was unmarried by choice - as the heiress to an entire duchy, she had her pick of men, and she had not picked one yet. Besides, it was no coincidence that her staff was all-female...

Running a noble estate was not an easy task, but she took care of it together with only two secretaries. She did not see herself as part of the "idle rich", and an endless stream of financial reports, personnel files and legal correspondence made sure she would never be in danger of being part of that particular class. Still, she made sure that she always had enough time for an outlandish hobby of hers. Nobles were, of course, expected to be somewhat eccentric, but she still preferred that this particular eccentricity remain well hidden: A few years back, while cleaning out a castle belonging to her family, she had made a gruesome discovery in the dungeons. Apparently, one of her ancestors had been quite creative regarding ways to keep his subjects in line. From the moment Ada had first touched one of the rusty chains, she had felt a strange fascination for this collection. Now it was in the basement of her mansion, lovingly refurbished and occasionally expanded. Staff were strictly forbidden from going there, and she had taken certain precautions that made sure she could tell if anyone's curiosity got the better of them.

 

[Snow_Shy_Kitty1]

Snow sighed as she got inside the building, her ears and tail flicking. Being a neko, a girl with the ears and tail of a cat, she had a hard time finding a job. She took off her tattered traveling cloak, revealing she was wearing a red and white maid outfit, though a rather sexual one. It was a one piece, with the top just above her breasts missing, and long stockings on her legs. It was the traditional maid outfit for nekos, as most everyone knew, though some tried to take advantage of this.
Snow looked around at the interior with a nervous and shy look, but with a bit of curiousity in her eyes. She was the shy type, hiding behind her blonde hair with her white ears flattened down and looking from behind her hair with her blue eyes. She stopped as she saw one of the current maids hurry by. Sighing, Snow headed to where she was told the head maid would be. As soon as she reached the room, she knocked on the door, her ears flicking and her tail twitching. She hoped she would be able to get this job, after being turned down from so many because of what she was. She bit her lower lip a bit and straightened her blonde hair and tried to look presentable.

 

[broomstix]

"Enter" came the reply from inside. As the door opened, Sonia, the head maid, looked up from her desk where she had been reading the newcomer's file. She greeted the shy girl who entered with a short nod and stood up. The tight bun she wore her white-blonde hair in and the piercing look of her light blue eyes made her look much older than her actual age of 28, but her features gave her a tiger-like attractiveness. She was not very tall, but still managed to look quite impressive in the bottle-green dress and white apron that was the uniform for maids at Ada's estate. A bright red stripe across her apron was another hint at her rank - but few people needed that hint.

"Snow. Welcome to Lady Ada's mansion. I am Sonia, the head maid. Come with me."

She walked out of the room without even turning back to see if Snow was following her. If she did not, that would be the first earful she would be getting...

 

[Snow_Shy_Kitty1]

Snow nodded and hurried after Sonia, her hands clasped in front of her. She had learned long ago to respect those above her. Being 18 years old, she was intimidated by the head maid, obvious by the fact half her face was hidden behind her hair and she was looking down. Her tail twitched as she walked behind Sonia, glancing around herself with her ears perked a bit. She noticed Sonia had said nothing about her being a neko, and hoped it was a good sign.

 

[broomstix]

They stopped at the laundry room where two other maids were busy taking care of the clothes - one ironing them, one folding them. As the head maid entered they gave a short bow and went right back to work. Sonia gave Snow a short, appraising look, then quickly handed her a set of clothes. "Your new uniform. You are to wear it whenever you are outside the servants' quarters. If it gets dirty or damaged, bring it here for a replacement - but try to keep it clean. If you do not take proper care of your clothes, you are next in line for laundry room duty." At this comment, the ironing maid shot the newcomer a sheepish smile.

 

[Snow_Shy_Kitty1]

Snow nodded, her ears flicking as she took the new uniform. She did feel a bit exposed in her current one, though she seemed not to mind. She noticed the look from the ironing maid and nodded quickly to Sonia, showing she understood. She was not the typical shy type, because she rarely spoke unless asked to. Snow's tail flicked as she looked around, still half hidden behind her long blonde hair.

 

[broomstix]

"Good. Come."

Another quick order, and again Sonia left without turning, sure by now that her charge would follow her. As they walked upstairs to the servants' quarters, the head maid gave further instructions. At first, she would be assigned to kitchen duty, as an assistant to the cooks there. "And", she added just as they had arrived in front of the door to the maids' rooms, "whatever happens, you will respect the "no entry" signs. Our mistress is very particular about that. Disrespect this rule, and you will be fired. Or worse."

Was she joking? From her dry voice and the humorless expression, it was hard to tell...

 

[Snow_Shy_Kitty1]

Snow nodded, a bit scared but curious at the same time. Being a neko, it was no wonder she was curious: it was a natural thing for them. She had been glancing around at the mansion as they walked, noting how neatly kept it was, and she had been rather curious as to just how many maids there were here. She looked back to Sonia and spoke for the first time, her voice soft and sweet, delicate like she was, with her slender hourglass body. "Yes, ma'am. What should I do with my current outfit? It's my mother's old uniform, and it's made of silk." This was true, as all neko maid outfits were made of silk, a fact everyone knew, and they didn't just throw them out, but kept them for when they were needed again. Snow didn't want to throw it out herself, but she didn't think she'd have much choice if she was told to.

 

[broomstix]

Silk? Ah yes, that strange tradition. "Store it in your locker for now. I will later ask the lady for permission for you to wear it."

They were inside one of the three servants' dormitory rooms now. It was bright and roomy and looked very much like a barracks with four bunk beds, lockers beside each and a large table with eight chairs in the middle. Washing and toilet facilities were behind another door to the left of the entrance. Austere but clean. Ada (and, for that matter, Sonia) did not believe in spoiling their servants - the pay, on the other hand, was quite good. "We have a rotation system here. You will be on duty for three weeks, then off for one. I will leave you for now. Report tomorrow at six, sharp, in the kitchen."

A sharp nod, and Sonia was gone. As she returned downstairs, she met the lady of the house, who had just finished her work day:
"Hello Sonia. Have you taken care of the newcomer?"
"I gave her all her instructions, yes, my lady."
"How is she?"
"Quiet, shy. I do not think she will cause problems."
"Have you instructed her on the consequences of curiosity? She is, after all, a cat."
"...in a manner of speaking. Yes, I did. She seems very well-behaved."
"Well, let's hope so..."
"There is another matter, my lady. The dress she is wearing. You know the tradition?"
"Ah, it is a family heirloom, isn't it? Well, she may wear it, if she wants to. It would be a shame to waste it."

 

[Snow_Shy_Kitty1]

Snow sighed and went to one of the lockers, stripping from her old outfit and slipping her new one on. She felt uncomfortable in it, but then again, she was more used to her old one. She had trouble getting her tail out from under the outfit, but she managed it, sighing in relief. Even though it was part of her, it was very sensitive. Most people didn't know, but grabbing a neko's tail or involuntarily brushing their ears sent electrical signals through their bodies, some painful, some pleasant, depending on the manner it happened. She noticed her hair was a bit ruffled and fixed it, then she put her old outfit in the locker. As she closed it, she jumped when she heard the room door open.

 

[broomstix]

It was not normal for Ada to check on new arrivals, or even to enter the servants' quarters at all, but she had nothing better to do at the moment, and she was a little curious. She opened the door and stood in the doorway. The servant always greeted first, so she patiently waited for the new servant to notice her.

Sonia had been an excellent judge of character about this one. Demure, eager to obey. Very young. She had to admit that she was a little prejudiced against cat girls - some of her peers did not even hire them at all because of their well-earned reputation for mischief. This one, though, seemed more like a kitten.

 

[Snow_Shy_Kitty1]

Snow turned to look at Ada and she curtsied, showing she had been raised with manners. "Hello, mistress." Not many people heard her voice, and those who did found it rather nice to hear. She straightened up, looking at Ada with her blue eyes from behind her blonde hair, that same curious glint all nekos had in her eye, but hers was far more subdued, showing she had been taught to keep her curiousity in check. Her mother had tought her all this, after all, being a maid for a wealthy man most people knew, a respectable man. Snow shuffled her feet as she stood there.

 

[broomstix]

"So you are the new maid...", Ada began. Snow really did look almost cuddly, but the lady kept the impulse to pet her in check. "What position has Sonia assigned you to?"

Ada's voice was quite warm and friendly. She knew that the head maid could be a little...frightening, especially to the more timid maids. She had to be, in order to keep the staff in line. It also gave the duchess the freedom to be much nicer to the servants - a freedom she very much enjoyed.

 

[Snow_Shy_Kitty1]

Snow's ears flicked as she looked at Ada but then away, not wanting to seem rude for staring. "I'm the cooks' assistant." She seemed to calm down from her initial fright from earlier when she heard Ada's voice, and her tail flicked behind hrer freely. Her peach skin seemed to be overclean, like she spent her time washing it. She glanced back up at Ada, still shy and somewhat nervous.

 

[broomstix]

"Cook's assistant. Very good. You will see - as long as you work hard and do what you are told, we will get along. Oh, and...", she added with a reassuring smile, "do not be scared of my head maid. She is stern, yes, but she is fair. Do nothing wrong, and she will leave you alone."

 

[Snow_Shy_Kitty1]

Snow nodded, having figured that out already. Glancing back at Ada, she decided to ask the question that was bugging her. "Mistress, am I allowed to keep my old outfit? This one feels strange on me." She had to adjust it several times and it didn't feel right on her.

 

[broomstix]

"Wear your old one. I know how particular your people are about their uniforms. Good night."

She left the servants' quarters and went downstairs, satisfied. That maid seemed like a good hire. Reliable, obedient and - if necessary - easily frightened. Also, totally adorable, she had to admit. Bad thought! This was a servant, not a pet or a plushy toy!

 

[Snow_Shy_Kitty1]

Snow sighed in relief and removed her new uniform, standing in just plain white panties and a bra, her ears flicking as she grabbed her old outfit out. She sighed and slipped it on, her ears flicking as she felt the silk on her skin. She smiled then sat down on one of the beds, sighing with relief. Her tail twitching as she looked around.

 

[broomstix]

Ada went to bed early. It had been a hard day, and she really needed some rest. The maid who had made her bed left with a quick bow, and left her mistress alone in her room. That new servant... Sonia did not mind her lady's adventures. In her mind, it was the right of someone of Ada's status to choose her consorts. The duchess, on the other hand, did always feel bad when she had feelings for someone beside her head maid. She was old-fashioned that way. Sometimes, though, the other maids were just too tempting. Should she give in to that temptation once more?

 

[Snow_Shy_Kitty1]

Snow sighed and laid down, her ears flicking. She was exhausted, and she had a trying day of being turned down so many times, but now she has a job and she didn't have to worry about being rejected. She soon dozed off, not a care in her mind as she lay there aslep, her tail coiled around her leg.

 

[broomstix]

The next day, after breakfast, Ada decided to pay a visit to her collection. The servants barely noticed her - or actively tried not to notice her - as she casually strolled through the kitchen (Snow was hard at work cleaning, she noticed with satisfaction), into the pantry and then past a door marked "no entry". Behind that door was a steep, uneven staircase with rough, stone walls. Very medieval-looking, except for the electric lighting, which she switched on.

At the foot end of the steps were two heavy, iron-reinforced wooden doors, one in front of her and one to the left. To her right, a board held instruments that others would have considered horrible. They held a dark fascination for her, and she took a vicious-looking hook off the board and played with it a little.

 

[Snow_Shy_Kitty1]

Snow finishes cleaning the dishes and notices Ada go into the pantry. Curious as to why she'd go in there, she thought about following but remembered what Sonia said. She did seem intrigued by why she was here, and she looked to the pantry before getting back to work.

 

[broomstix]

Sometimes, Ada found it a little disappointing that she had found no one she could show her collection to who shared her excitement. Reactions normally reached from horrified shrieks to nervous laughter. And then people got scared of her. Truth was, she was not that scary and would not have dreamed of using these instruments on someone who was not at least interested. But where to find someone who was interested in that?

She sighed and got to work. Visitors or no visitors, she was proud that all the devices were kept in perfect working order by her and would be ready for action as soon as she found that special someone...

 

[Snow_Shy_Kitty1]

Snow looked up, her tail twitching as she saw the lady of the house leave the pantry, her ears flicking as she stood there. She smiled to Ada before getting back to work, her young body moving with care and her red and white maid outfit showing off a bit more than the outfit the other maids wore.

 

[broomstix]

Ada went to work with the precision of a mechanic, almost as if she was repairing cars - and not centuries-old torture instruments. She tested the play on the rack's winch, oiled the chains, made sure all the spikes on the chair were sharp. It was weird, she knew. Unless a miracle happened, no one would ever sit on this thing. No one would ever want to sit on it. It hurt like hell, after all - as she could confirm after one unwise test. Still, you never knew...

Her work done, she stopped at the foot of the stairs and thoroughly cleaned her hands on a rag before returning to the pantry.