Orion 2014/08/07(Thu)17:37 No. 588626 ID: 0eaf76
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It was a bright, warm summer's afternoon. You sat alone in the lavishly decorated dining room, one of many in your family's mansion. You poked at your grilled fish with a bit of distaste. Your butler, Quivel, stared at you with a careful eye. "Young master, are you nervous? I am sure the news your parents gave you is nothing to fret over."

Your name is Charles Mahogany, and you do not wish to be wed. However, your parents still insist.

Earlier today your Mother called you to her room and explained they were arranging for you to meet potential wives. You never had much interest in romance, especially not with girls you haven't found yourself. Quivel refilled your glass of water, using a careful hand. "Young master, I was ordered to tell you that your first suitor arrives tomorrow morning, and that you must look sharp."

Ponder over why you're drinking water from a martini glass.

Also: You look fab as is.

Give it a shot, there's a fair chance you might like one of your suitors. I mean what's the alternative; you sneak out and run away? Just try to set things up so that your mother is not in the room while you talk. It will give you a chance to speak a bit more openly.

Ok you have two options. You can take it seriously and find a girl you like that might make a good wife. Or you can act horribly and frighten people off.

I advise the middle ground. Try and have fun with the process and if you meet a nice girl then all the better. They might be forcing you to meet girls but you get to choose.

What happens if you don't get married? Consequence wise?
Did you also have an honest talk with them about it? Like, what's with the push? They just grandbaby crazy, concerned parents that fear you'll be alone forever, legacy crazy, or conformist crazy?
Or are they just bored and want to animal husbandry their son?
Just ask them for the truth, and that you'll completely understand any of those desires, because those are what parents all do when it comes to getting their kids married. They don't have to lie and choose the "concerned parents" motivation, the legacy or grandbaby thing is completely normal for parents, they don't have to be ashamed of it. You just want the honest truth. Even son husbandry due to boredom is an acceptable answer and you won't be mad if they chose it, because we're all rich people and we can all admit to being a little fucked up. You'll only be mad if they bullshit you.
Maybe also ask your butler. He might know more and actually be honest with you.

Though my bet is they're afraid you might be gay instead of asexual. It's a common occurrence for the rich and stuffy, whatcha gonna do? Culture change? Pffft. Like that'll happen within a noticeable timeframe. You'll just have to be comfortable being yourself and accept that.

>>588626
Well if you don't like what your parents did, why not try running away? Find your own girl, or something! Maybe sneak out at night, using sheets tied to each other as ropes. That'll show them for trying to control you!

Orion 2014/08/07(Thu)20:52 No. 588638 ID: 0eaf76
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You might as well suck it up and get it over with. Trying to squirm out of this deal will only cause your parents to fret more, and that would definitely be irritating. However, you really don't know WHY your parents are making you do this. You turn to Quivel and wave a hand.

"Quivel, why are my parents forcing me to marry? Do you know?"

Your butler stays quiet before clearing his throat.

"Young master, I was ordered not to tell you. If you would like to know that then I advise you talk to your parents. Are you finished with your food?"

He bent over, silently offering to take your plate away. You just flick your wrist in a gesture and his gloved hand had whisked away your dishes in a flash. Hmm, why do you drink water from a martini glass? A regular glass would hold so much more water, but you digress.

Standing up, you wipe off your shirt and excuse yourself back to your room. The empty hallways used to be so lonely for you, now you're used to them. They're decorated in cleanly polished paintings and mirrors, with fancy chandeliers teetering on their hinges in the ceiling. The rug under your feet was woven with great care and with the finest materials. Everything was so divine...you have lived like this your entire life. With servents and butlers replacing the presence of your own parents. They were often too busy to cater to your needs. You barely knew them at all.

You stop yourself in the hallway, right outside of your Father's office. You could hear him shuffling around inside, even through the thick doors.

>Go bother him about the marriage.

>Go find your Mother.

>Go to your room.

>>588638
Knock first, see if he can answer a few questions and you'll go. Then we'll just go to Mom. I really hope they can be honest with us.
Shit, the fact that they ordered the butler not to tell you is a question in and of itself? The fuck is with the secrecy?

Go talk to dad. Tell him you are ok with meeting the suitors and such but would like to know what his plan is for all of this.

Bet you have a family curse. And if you don't get married by your next birthday you turn into a lizard or something. But its probably just some boring reason like wanting grand kids or forming political connections. Oh or running out of money and they need you to marry into another rich family to save things.

Honestly the curse idea sounds more fun.

Is there something you'd rather be doing with your life, or a person you'd rather be seeing?

>why are my parents forcing me to marry?
Possible reasons that come to mind: Succession or lineage (are you an only child, or the eldest? They need to see you marry to continue the line), political power (marriages can be a tool to curry favor, or cement alliances between families), finances (replenishing waning coffers with the right match).

It might also simply be that your parents are aging, and want to see this taken care of, while they still can.

>what do
Talk to dad, man to man.

Orion 2014/08/07(Thu)23:46 No. 588692 ID: 0eaf76
File 140748037867.png - (44.25KB , 1100x900 , 3.png )

You knock impatiently on the wood of the door. A gruff voice calls out from the small PA box beside the door. "Son? Is that you?"

"Yes, Father. I wanted to speak to you about the marriage." You can hear him sigh out, moving to speak but stopping for a few moments.

"Son, I'm busy. Go bother your Mother. I'm sure she's free to talk to you."

You furrow your eyebrows. You wanted a man to man talk. Being persistent you continue knocking on your Dad's door.

"Please, Father? I really just need to talk to you for a little while." There was a brief quietness before there was a click on the door to his office.

"Fine, come in. But make it brief. I have work to do." He grumbled.

You push through the door and find your Father sitting at his large wooden desk, shuffling through the files on his large laptop. There were stacks of paper around it, as well as two corded telephones sitting on either end of his desk. He was smoking a cigar, and the fumes hung in the room like a vulgar curtain. You held a palm against your nose, wringing your face.

"Erm, I wanted to ask you. Why you chose now to arrange a marriage for me...is it for money? Grandchildren? What is it?" Any reason would do for you. You just wanted peace of mind.

Father leaned on one elbow, blowing smoke out of his nose.

"Son...you know that I care about you, right? I know that ultimately, who you marry is up to you and all that...but we thought that if you married a girl from some...other large companies..."

You could see where this was going.

"We just don't want you ending up with some poor girl, ok? You need to marry rich or else you'll dwindle with a no-good wife. You haven't got a job yet. God knows you won't be able to support a family without another wealthy spouse."

"Don't tell me...you want me to marry someone from the Pines? I know you've had your eyes on that company for a while..."

Pine and Company was the rival conglomerate to Mahogany. It was an equally wealthy family, and Father had been wanting to seize a hold of them for years now. Of course, Pine had a mutual feeling that joining up would be beneficial to both, but neither of them admitted it. Father sucked in a lungful of smoke.

"I don't view you as just a business tactic. So don't go thinking that."

Just tell him at this point in your life, you're asexual. You honestly wouldn't even see yourself getting married to any poor girl to dwindle on in the first place. Rich or poor. Or even raising a family. Without the push, you'd probably just be alone forever, and you would have been fine with that.
It's just not you. Romance doesn't interest you at all. Not to insult him or mother or anything, it's all in due respect. You'll still go on with the dates as respect to the suitors, but... well you're still asexual. Or would it be aromatic? Both?
Why did you forbay the butler from talking about their reasoning?

I don't think asexual has much social stigma as any of the other sexualities. I don't know. If you think your Dad might REALLY fumed at you mentioning that, maybe just ask about the butler being forbayed to talk about it and just thank him and leave. Without the drama. Then again, you ARE the socialite, you should have knowledge of taboos. Is asexuality a taboo?

>>588692
Now wait a minute, before we say something rash. There exists invaluable knowledge that we MUST obtain prior to pursuing any course of action here; that knowledge, being of course... y'know, what kind of... uhhh, ASSETS do these Pines girls got, if ya' catch my drift.

I'm just thinking strategically here. heh eh.

>You haven't got a job yet
Then let's try to get you a job as a fall back plan.
I get the impression that he does care for you but he feels that you can't/won't do anything by yourself. The best thing to do in that case is prove him wrong. What specialties have you been taught in?

Well if you take this at face value its just your parents being worried about you. They want to set you up so you are comfortable and secure.

He mentions not having a job and not being able to support a family. So do you have any job prospects? Working with your families company perhaps? Or do you have any passions you might want to follow?

>>588701
Woah, slow down there a sec, no one said anything about being asexual or aromantic, just that he wasn't currently especially interested. Kind of early to make that call.

In any case, he probably is at least doing what he thinks best for you; you were born in luxury after all, and he wants to make things as easy as possible for you later in life, (even if he IS using you as a bargaining chip, is probably going to help you later in life when you presumably inherit the company anyway).

Speaking of that, though, are you going to inherit the company, as far as you know? What kind of education do you have, and what other job prospects are there for you?

well, you can at least meet with them. maybe you will hit it off and actually like them.

>I don't view you as just a business tactic.

Then why is he avoiding speaking to you?

Orion 2014/08/08(Fri)14:56 No. 588745 ID: 0eaf76
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>Asexual.

You aren't entirely sure if you're asexual or not. Of course you have been aroused by women before, but making intimate connections with one of your own choosing was never appealing to you. Asexuality was not entirely a taboo in this rich lifestyle you call your own, but it would certainly bring great distress to your Mother.

>What kind of assets do Pine girls have?

"What sort of...qualifications do girls from the Pine family have that make them great suitors?"

Of course they'd be rich and most likely sophisticated...and...you'd rather not share your perverse thoughts with your father. You doubt he'd be very amused. Best to keep that kind of question to yourself.

"They're rich, well-raised and itching to meet you. That's the only information I can disclose. I don't know them very well, personally, but they're in a family fit to satisfy you."

>Why did the butler have to remain secretive?

"And another thing, Father. Why was Quivel not allowed to tell me anything? If the answer was so simple..."

"Personal family matters aren't suited to be shared by a servent. You know that. Now get out of my office, you've overstayed your welcome."

You promptly leave his room and are left to ponder in the hallway. Perhaps you'll like this...Pine girl. Of course, if she doesn't do the trick then they'll certainly find more. But he mentioned planning for your financial stability later in life...are you going to have a job later in life? What sort of job prospects do you have? Due to protocol you were tutored by the best mentors in the country. In Science, Mathematics, Literature, Linguistics. You have a more advanced high school education curriculum up your belt. Your Father of course wants you to inherit the company and make sure things run smoothly...but do you want that job? You'll have to think on that.

You make your way upstairs to your room and spend the rest of the day lounging around and finishing up a book you have recently started. The Great Gatsby...a really poignant book that you quite enjoy.

The next morning came all too quickly for you as you were poked awake by a handful of servants. They made sure to dress you in a fine outfit, the kind that best displayed your handsomeness. A crisp suit top and custom tailored slacks. Your hair was combed carefully and your teeth were brushed (without any servants of course) dutifully. Pretty soon you were sitting in the tea room, plastered on a long couch with a tray of refreshments sitting in front of you. The large windows offered plenty of light, but it was far too early in the morning for you to be enjoying any part of this little charade. Quivel stood by your side, glancing at a pocketwatch in his hand.

"You seem quite tired, Young master."

You only reply with a short grumble before the large doors in the corner burst forth. A girl around your age in a plushy yellow dress with ruffles shuffled in, the high heels concealed by her dress clacking on the hard tile floor. Her face was bright, but slightly irritating. It looked like a fake happiness, the kind that bubbles over and pops when you get too close. She trotted over to you and sat down on the couch.

"Why hello there! You must be Charles, my name is Belle~ I'm the middle child of the Pine family. I was told that you would be perfect for a girl like me!"

Her voice was high-pitched and gave you quite the headache. But you put up a front, straining to nod and smile with at least a little bit of respect. You noticed a small group trail in behind Belle. Her butler, a few servants and a different girl, who looked related. She seemed familiar to you...but you couldn't put a finger on it.

"Who's that?" You point at the stranger.

"Oh her? That's just my older sister. Ignore her."

>>588745
>Great Gatsby
Tell me, are you Old Money or New Money?
And know not to become as shallow as the people in that book, right?
Everyone in your family knows not to become so overtly shallow they could qualify as satire?

>Date stuff now
Say hello, and tease her a bit about asking how exactly you're perfect? Then let her talk about herself because she'll probably like that. Shame you're both still in highschool. You could dine on wine and then her shield that she's hiding her real personality behind could crumble a bit.
Hmm, trick her into drinking something that she'll think is wine. Be a bit of a bad boy.

>Be a bit of a bad boy
I would say no to this on the first meeting; especially when you have so many people watching you.

Ask about *her* (her hobbies, what book she read last, ect) and talk for a bit. Unless her other(real) side is very demure then I can't imagine this going too far. She's a bit forward and fake. Also ask why her sister is there with her.

The sister seems...genuine if nothing else. She seems like she's not enjoying this. (which would make two of you) What do you think about her?

It's like she's more attention deprived than you.

Ask her if she's read anything good lately.

>>588745
Ignore this bitch! Get it, 'cuz she's a dog. eheheh. But, really just give her your barest of interest, just enough to seem courteous.

Anyways, direct your true attention towards her older sister and thoroughly, yet subtly examine said sisters ASSETS and relay your thoughts back to us. Hopefully this will prod Belle a bit into revealing more of her true nature. Otherwise she'd probably just talk your ear off about trivial bullhonkey that'd just bore you to tears.

Just do it in such a way that won't make us of the Mahogany family look rude. Maybe we can provoke Belle to act out just enough in front of everyone to delay the arrangement. Perhaps we'll even garnish the attention of the older sibling in the process, huh?

Orion 2014/08/08(Fri)20:35 No. 588782 ID: 0eaf76
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>Ask her if she's read anything good lately.

"So, have you read any books lately?"

Belle merely scoffed, pressing her fingertips together. It looked as though she was ashamed, but that look quickly faded.

"Reading? Why, I don't have time for reading, Sir Charles...! I have other erm...duties that I keep myself busy with."

"Really? Is that so...well, why is your sister here with you?"

The older sibling spoke up from the corner of the room.

"To keep boys like you away from my sister." She lifted her chin, glaring at you with an intense gaze that caused your stomach to twist. You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, grabbing a fruit tart from the refreshments table to occupy your thoughts. Belle just waved at the air.

"Rachelle, go bother someone else. He's fiiiiine. I bet he'll treat me nice, hmm? Buy me things I want and all that~" She cuddled up on your arm, sighing happily. You really had no interest in her...she seemed materialistic and pesky. Her sister on the other hand...well, she just seemed grumpy and stubborn, but not quite so annoying.

"So, tell me a bit about yourself, Belle."

"Weeeeell, I'm the middle one of my three sisters. Of course, that also makes me the most special~ I have many talents. I want to be a photographer when I grow up! I'm sure you've seen my work across the internet...I've been featured in several art exhibitions, heehee~ Oh! And I once entered a contest when I was in..."

Her ramblings persisted for about 20 more minutes. She talked non-stop, breaking a few times to sip some tea or eat a cookie. You were about to claw your face off with your own hands. Her voice echoed in your head like a broken record.

"Belle. Slow down a bit for Sir Charles, there. He looks a bit overwhelmed."

Belle stopped to look you over, gasping.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Charles! My life is a lot to take in, I know. Perhaps you'd like to share things about your life...? Or we could break for a bit of an early brunch? I didn't quite get the chance to eat anything before I left my home today, I'm afraid..."

My names is Charles Mahogony I cannot lie
My butler can't deny
That when a steak comes with with an itty bitty taste
and round loin in your face
you get SPRUNG, wanna put out the tough...

We are a connoisseur of meats. And raps. And books.
Lookin' fancy, being stoic. Philosphying and shit.

i suppose you should start with your hobbies.

Business, horses and hunting, like any upperclassman worth his salt.

I don't suppose this is the part where we inform whether or not Charles has any interests, knowledge or experience outside the privileged, hardship-free world of upper class chicanery?

If so, then we are well-versed in the typical interests and fields of the wealthy; however, we also have a weakness for (and comprehensive knowledge of) pulps and serials. You also like to occasionally venture outside the grounds to take walks around various parts of the city; neither of you parents care much for any of this, but they don't care about your existence nearly enough to actually stop or forbid you, so long as you don't do anything majorly besmirching of the family name.

Also, when we get a good chance, ask the older sister: "If you're here to keep your sister from boys like me, then why have either of you bother to come all the way here?"

Forget Belle, we should go for Rachelle.

Belle is *way* too annoying to be your wife. Never go on a date(or a second date depending on what this is) with her. Rachel seems ok. Maybe try to get a back and forth with her?(matching wits and all that)
Comic books and archery seem like a pretty nice combo.

Your passions are botany, literature, and mountaineering. You aren't the social type, really, and all those activities offer nice opportunities to be alone.

Your favorite dish is calamari, but any seafood's good. Your favorite color is violet. You like painting, but haven't been at it for long, so you're mediocre at best. Your biggest pet peeves are being forced into things you aren't interested in, and people who don't listen. You're hopeless at skiing.

Also, tell her you're still not 100% signed off on getting married just yet, and beg her understanding. You'd rather try and get to know her and her family as friends before jumping into a marriage.

Tell Rachelle that her sister is doing a perfectly fine job of keeping boys like you away from herself, that the thought of spending the rest of your life with Belle makes you cringe, and that she has thus far somehow shown herself to be a better suitor despite obviously not being interested in you, much to your chagrin.

>Her face was bright, but slightly irritating. It looked like a fake happiness, the kind that bubbles over and pops when you get too close.
I wonder if your first reaction wasn't the wrong one. Maybe it is fake. She's being intentionally over-exuberant and grating to try and get rid of you? Disobeying by following directions too literally (told to "be nice" and turns it up to 11).

Or she might just be a vapid little thing. Not enough to get a solid read on her.

For instance, did she respond to your comments on books with embarrassment because she's secretly a reader, or because she realized she was putting down your interest?

>Buy me things I want and all that~
Ironic, if you'd be marrying for her money. An intentional hidden barb in the supposed ditz act, or a coincidence?

>Or we could break for a bit of an early brunch?
Might be a bit of a relief.

Orion 2014/08/09(Sat)17:55 No. 588881 ID: 0eaf76
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>Tell her about yourself.

"I suppose you should know a bit about me, since we're supposed to be getting along here. My name is Charles Mahogany. I am a fan of literature, specifically pulps and serials, and I have a keen interest in Botony and mountaineering. I also like to paint, I hate people who don't listen and I am horrible at skiing. My favorite color is violet and my favorite food is calamari, but any seafood will do good. That's just a simple bit of info about me. There's more, obviously, but I won't weigh you down with petty things."

Belle cocked her head to one side, and then the other. She stayed silent for a moment before letting out a squeal.

"You're so cool! All the other guys that I've met are all so BORING. They have no interests whatsoever...! At least you actually have things that you're passionate about!" She flung herself into your arms, hugging your torso.

"Please keep in mind that I haven't agreed to marry you. I agreed to meet with you, and marrying is something that I would much rather do later on in my life..."

"Oh I understand, but dating is much different than marrying...! You don't have to be my husband, but you CAN be my boyfriend! Hehehe!"

"Try not to count on it...anyways, if you're so keen on keeping me away from your sister, why did you come here, Rachelle? Why did any of you come here? I can't imagine you live close to here."

"We don't. But my opinions do not exceed those of our parents. Our parents forced us to come, or rather, forced Belle to come. I'm merely here to watch over her."

"Not to be rude, but I don't have much of an interest in you Belle. We could be...friends...I suppose, but I have no intentions of dating you.

Belle stuck out her bottom lip, whimpering like a dog...well, she was a dog. But that didn't quite matter at this point.

"Hmph~ Playing hard to get I see. Well I'll see if I can convince you over lunch!"

She hopped up from her seat, like a springing pogo stick, and rushed out the door.

"I'll meet you in the dining roooom!" She called out from the hallway. You hoisted yourself up from the couch, grumbling to yourself. Just another hour or so and then they'll leave. Time seemed to slow, taunting you for signing up for this silly charade. As you walked to the door, Rachelle stopped you, putting her palm against your chest.

"Be careful with your words, Mr. Mahogany. I care about my sister, as hard as it may be to believe. I have no desire to marry you, but I do have a desire to protect my family." She gently pulled her hand back and turned to leave for the dining room. You stand there, paused and proceed to follow her.

Your mansion has a few dining rooms. You have your own personalized eating area, but today you were all going to sit in the grand dining hall. It was much larger, much brighter and much more extravagant. Everything seemed to be coated in gold, with golden yellow accents adorning the furniture. The silverware was expertly crafted, with small design carved into each handle. The plates had gold trimmng along the flawlessly white porcelain, and the chairs were covered in a fine, red velvet. Expensive paintings and vases lined the walls and corners of the room. The floor was a pale white, and had a sharp reflection of everything in the room. A bit of overkill, given that three people were eating in a room fit for 50. Quivel was posted to stay on your side, hands clasped behind his back as always.

"Young Master, do you have preferences for a drink today?"

Depends on if we want alcohol or not.
If it's non alcoholic, then a vanilla cola will do. If we decide to booze up, then a blackberry merlot will do.

Odd statement the sister made. She doesn't want to marry us, but she wants to protect her family? I wasn't under the impression that she was a suitor herself; I assumed she was just accompanying her sibling.

Well, that was pretty well handled, I think. We hurt Belle's feelings a little, but honesty is probably better than leading her on.

Aside from that, I see no reason not to be polite in our interactions. Even if you don't intent to pursue either of these girls right now, there's no reason you can't enjoy each others company pleasantly. (I mean, it's that, or make each other miserable when you're forced together).

Belle might be disappointed, but we don't have to be an ass about it. And Rachelle may be more pleasant to be around once she decides we're no threat to her sister (either as a man, or a source of cruel words).

>do you have preferences for a drink today?
If we're into botany, tea seems a nice adjacent interest. (Also, getting anyone drunk seems like a bad idea).

>>588882
Speaking of which, we never did get an answer as to whether we were Old Money or Nouveau Riche.

Let's drink some mock champagne. Ginger ale pineapple juice and grape juice with a raspberry or two to float in it. It also must be served in an inappropriate glass for the beverage as is the family tradition.

Having Suitors is just like dating. Maybe you will end up liking her after awhile. Maybe you never get married but you make a new friend. Just because you go out with someone does not mean you have to do anything.

I would make a honest attempt to at least befriend these girls even if it never ends in anything romantic. Never hurts to have some high society friends in your age group.

For drinks I would go lemonade. Its that time of year and you can always slip a bit of booze in later if you feel like it.

Unfortunately for your headache, it's too early for booze. You're the botanist, you must know of some kind of cure-all tea that will actually work.

You are a cat (I think), and cats like milk, so have yourself some milk. Unless you're lactose intolerant.

Orion 2014/08/09(Sat)23:30 No. 588910 ID: 0eaf76
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>Tea.

You call for a cup of Chamomile tea. A calming tea that will soothe the migraine in-training that's brewing in your head. You sat at the head of the table, a servant placing a large napkin in your lap. The two sisters sat on either side of you, recieving a similar napkin. Thinking back on it now, you could've been a bit easier on Belle back in the other room. If you give an honest effort in befriending these girls, perhaps a decent friendship could bloom out of it. You don't have very many friends to begin with, so having a few companions in your social class wouldn't be a harmful thing.

"Brunch will be provided to you by our gracious staff in the kitchen. Please sit still while we fetch drinks and such." The servants and your own butler desert the dining room, leaving you alone with the two sisters.

"I wonder if your cooks are better than ours...I doubt it! We made sure to hire the best of the best."

"Belle, try not to eat too much here. We're meeting other men later on today, you know. They'll most likely bear gifts in the form of food as well."

"I know, I know. I bet none of them will be as interesting as Mr. Charles over here though~" She batted her eyes at you, resting her chin on both of her hands. You stared into her jade green pupils, amazed that she could be so enthralled by you this early on. You've only been talking for a short while.

"By the way, you mentioned being the middle child. Does that mean you have a younger sister as well?"

"Hahaha, yeah. But she's only younger than us by a year or two. If you'd like to meet you I'd totally be up for letting you guys talk. Of course, if she steals you from me I'll be super, duper jealous!"

"Introducing Bianca to this young man may not be in our best interests. She'd most likely refuse the offer anyways, venturing outside of the house would be too much for her."

"I guess you're right...but hey, Charles, do you want to hang out sometime soon?! Us rich people have way too much free time on our hands, isn't that right? All of my girlfriends are off on fancy vacations to the Caribbean or something. So how about it?"

Quivel set your tea in front of you, offering a bit of tea to the ladies, who graciously accepted.

>>588910
That's sounds fun, actually. Would more people be joining us then just this party of three? Video games, nightclub, horseback riding, what sort of thing is she thinking of?
Again, friends are nice.

>>588911
Also you should blatantly ask why Rachelle doesn't trust you? Not that you're insulted, you're genuinely curious. Some history behind that attitude she's willing to share?

So what are your thoughts regarding canines anyway, or is that a bigoted question?

Hanging out sounds great.

"Our cooks are best"? "us rich people"? This sounds like new money screaming to their neighbors "hey! look at me! I'm rich too! Accept me! Look how I buy ostentatiously expensive things to show I'm rich like you!", which earns them naught but contempt from old money.

Isn't that what Gatsby himself does, by the way?

Knowing whether we are old or new money becomes more important by the minute.

>>588922
Added: Were you not in this ridiculous dining room, you could tell her ostentation is NOT how new money makes friends, and instead alienates people. But right here, right now, it would sound highly hypocritical.

>>588910
Well other than being a bit unintentionally rude(our cooks are the best, us rich people) they seem pretty alright to talk with right now. Hopefully they'll stay this way if you can entertain them right. Sure, why not.

((Also that painting looks cool.))

Sounds fun, do it!
I'm hoping that belle is putting on a show because she doesn't wanna be married and isn't a fake stereotype, let's try to confirm or deny it!

Perhaps you could invite them out to the gardens. You know your way around the plants out there, after all, and if you're going to be spending time with them you can at least do something you're interested in.

If all Belle desires is our company, I suppose we can indulge that. So long as she understands that's all you're offering. Whatever our families' intentions were arranging this meeting, you're not really looking for anything more than that right now, you're afraid. (Ie, okay- but don't lead her on).

When they depart, wish Rachelle well in her mission to protect her sister for the remainder of their meetings, and offer your apologies for drawing her ire.

>Sure, go for a visit.

... actually, i think she was asking for a date? ... If I'm wrong, sure, go for a visit.

Orion 2014/08/10(Sun)19:41 No. 589013 ID: 0eaf76
File 140772491990.png - (51.28KB , 1100x900 , 8.png )

Holding the tea cup up to your mouth, you take a small sip, wincing when the tea burned your lips. It tasted alright, but now your mouth was too burned to do much in terms of taste. You turn your attention back to Belle, putting on a smile, warm but dismissive.

"I'd be happy to meet with you again. What date would be best for you?"

"Oh really?! Amazing! Uhm, we could meet tomorrow...! I can come over during the evening, for dinner?"

"I suppose I'll be coming along as well..." She definitely didn't look happy about it.

"Hey Rachelle, what exactly is your reasoning behind not trusting me? Did something happen that I should know about?"

"No reason. I just don't trust men. Especially the rich kind..." She carefully drank from her tea cup, never breaking eye contact with you. That same cold chill went up your spine from before and you had to wiggle uncomfortably in your seat. Now that you thought about it more and more, you found yourself comparing this scenario to Great Gatsby. Were you New Money or Old Money? Was BELLE New Money or Old Money? The way she flaunted her wealth so guiltlessly... Eh, no reason to think about it now. You'll have time to ponder it once they leave.

A servant walked out from the kitchen, placing trays of food in front of the ladies, and then you. Taking off the lid, you were delighted to see that the kitchen had prepared a lovely meal for you. A bit fancy, but you couldn't complain. Broiled lobster tail, soaked in butter and lemon juice, with a side of creamy mashed potatoes and crispy green beans. You could see the tiny bits of chives in your potatoes, and the dim shimmer of the beans, steaming with bubbles of grey air. The girls got the same meal, and were pleasantly surprised.

"Oh we never get lobster back at home...! Father says it's too fattening...of course, all of the fat is in the butter, you see. But he's convinced that the lobster itself will make me blow up like a balloon!" She seemed absolutely flustered at the idea! Like the very notion of fatty lobster just offended her.

"Thank you for the meal, Mr. Charles." Rachelle's face looked a bit brighter than before, as she was able to enjoy a meal not commonly served at home. You all ate in silence for a few minutes, aside from the occasional squeal from Belle's side of the table.

>What are you thoughts regarding canines?

You mostly tried to stay away from canines, since you were small. They posed no threat to you, but some sort of instinctual drive inside of you caused you to avoid them inherently. Now that you've been forced to meet with some, you find they aren't that bad. You still wouldn't marry one...

Quivel leans down next to you, with the same calm face that he exhibits everywhere else.

"Young Master, do you have any preferences for dessert this afternoon?"

Key lime pie and some soft chocolate chip cookies. With milk, of course.

Also, those two's responses and comments seem to confirm that they are new money to some extent. Heck, some of what they say makes it sound like they might have less money than we were expecting. Not that I mind myself. At least both of them seem a bit more likable now.

>new money, old money
There will be plenty of time to research that kind of thing later.

>Rachelle's face looked a bit brighter than before,
Maybe she'll continue to cheer up, when she stops seeing you as a threat.

>Young Master, do you have any preferences for dessert this afternoon?
Maybe follow up on the meal, offering them something they can't have at home. They're from a mountainous region, we're more coastal? Maybe something with fresh fruit.

>Young Master, do you have any preferences for dessert this afternoon?
Perhaps a Victoria Sponge Cake? It isn't very high in calories and is very quick and easy to prepare.

>>589013
>Lobster fattening you up
It occurs to me her dad could have been referring to an allergy, so keep an eye on her. If she starts to choke up a bit, might be a good idea to call in a doctor and see if there are any epi pens lying around handy.
Probably just me worrying over inconsequential details, but it pays to play it safe.

>>589013
"I believe I will leave that choice to our guests."

I get the sense that they aren't actually all that well off, and are trying to improve their quality of life through marriage. They may have the sort of income your father expects, but have a debt load beyond what they can actually service.
There's no smoking gun, but there are many little things that suggest they're struggling, and others that are the hallmark of good-cop/bad-cop style manipulation - or, in this case, ditzy trophy wife wannabe and protective older sister.
You can screw up their gambit by ignoring the lure and biting the float - flirt with the elder sister as they leave (something about respecting people who protect their family) while politely snubbing the younger sister. Next time they visit they'll likely give the game away by trying to have the elder sister reel you in (bonus points if the younger sister 'just happens' to meet mister right before the next meeting).

If they're being honest? Well, could you honestly be happy with somebody who doesn't make time for a good book? And aren't you disgusted by how little effort your family puts into being a family?

I can't help but wonder if some of Belle's babbling is the result of pressure, as well. Being placed before a suitor-- and it's entirely possible you were tipped as the cream of the crop for her to snag-- could make her nervous. Do them both at least the service of delaying any solid judgment of their characters until you get comfortable with each other.

Does how rich / how long they've been rich actually matter to you, or just to your parents? What qualities do you suppose Rachelle has found distasteful about rich young men? Snobbishness? Perhaps she considers them spoiled, or useless, or entitled? Perhaps she's concerned with the plight of the less fortunate, and thinks people like you don't care enough for them?

...If you think being preemptively judged on those sorts of ideas is unfair, try not to do the same thing to them just because they happen to be canines. Get to know them. Headgames and charades would only get tiresome, and defeat the point of the exercise.

Orion 2014/08/13(Wed)22:06 No. 589370 ID: 0eaf76
File 140799279697.png - (46.26KB , 1100x900 , 9.png )

>"I believe I will leave that choice to our guests."

The two looked a bit surprised with your decision.

"Y-You mean we can pick...? That's so nice of you! I really have no idea what kind of dessert I want, though..." Belle went quiet, tapping her chin with one finger, and then opened her mouth to speak again but Rachelle put up a hand to stop her. While she was just as surprised as Belle at your display of hospitality, she did not look as overjoyed as her sibling.

"As kind as it is for you to offer us the choice of our own dessert, we really should be leaving." She stood up from her chair, pushing her plate of half-eaten food away. "As I said before, Belle, we have other suitors to visit today and they will be expecting us to arrive soon."

"Awwww, but Rach, I was in the mood for some tiramisu..." The younger sister pushed herself out from her chair, a disappointed look on her face. "Can we at least have dinner mints or something?"

"Belle, we need to leave. Thank you for your time, Mr. Charles, but I'm afraid we have overstayed our welcome..."

"No no, you're allowed to stay longer if you--"

"THANK YOU, Mr. Charles..." Rachelle bowed with a stiff curtsy before motioning for Belle to follow her to the front door.

"Sorry we couldn't stay longer...! I'll see if I can swing by tomorrow! Byesies!" The two exited the dining hall, echoing sounds of slamming doors bouncing off the walls. Staring at your food, you could feel your appetite slowly escape your stomach. Standing up, you wipe down your pants, straightening your jacket. First impressions of them? Some parts of you want to guess that they're not as wealthy as they claim to be... that they're trying to marry you for the same reason your father wants to marry them. Why would Belle push her richness to you so eagerly? Unless she was just nervous and was running out of topics of discussion...you can imagine how this meeting would get her flustered. Meeting your possible future-husband, probably is a lot of pressure. Still, something about their family seems off to you...and not just because they're dogs, either!

Neither of the sisters really interested you that much, other than perhaps Rachelle. Your interest was piqued, at the very least. You wanted to get to know her, learn her hobbies and interests, maybe even befriend her, you didn't know. However, you'll have a chance to redeem yourself tomorrow. You excuse yourself from the dining room and stride upstairs to your own room. The maids had organized a few things here and there, making your bed and reworking your wardrobe so things were coordinated the correct way. You appreciated that. God knows that cleaning your own room would be an unecessary hassle...

The only sound in the room was the small clock perched on your nightstand, a gentle tick clocking away inside of its hollow, wooden form. Sitting down on the edge of your bed, you let out a deep sigh. Marriage, huh? You were barely 18...why bother getting married now? You barely had time to even digest your food before a high-pitched screeching sound was set off in the household. It was the security alarm, programmed to ring off when an intruder broke into the mansion. Most likely it was simply a servant who had forgotten to get into the house correctly or something. Intruder alarms weren't unheard of, they went off every month or so. Either due to technical issues, an actual break-in, or just a misunderstanding. Your parents made sure to keep the house secure, so even if someone were to break-in, they wouldn't get very far before they were apprehended.

It wasn't your business to snoop around and figure out what it was. That was your Father or Mother's job, but you were still a bit curious to know if it was an ACTUAL burglar...

>Investigate.

>Leave it be.

It's the first exciting thing to happen all day, why not Investigate. Maybe bring a small weapon with you, JUST in case. Pocketknife?

Always take the option that'll make a better story to tell your grandkids. Or to get someone else to buy drinks. Investigate, bring a weapon like a fire-poker or cane or something. and be sneaky.

Do any legal statuses change at 18? You should look that up, along with the status of your father's company and the pine company. Also, try and find out from where you recognize Rachelle.

eh, you have nothing better to do. Why not investigate?

Go out and see what is going on. If you do see suspicious people, be ready to jump into the nearest hiding place like the sleuthy cat you are.

>why push richness?
>not as wealthy as they claim to be? nervous slip-up?
Another possibility- she was shooting in the dark. She didn't know you, and was blindly trying things to see what worked, or what you responded to.

>what do?
Snoop, snoop. You're young, it's good to stick your nose in this kind of thing.

And better for you to arrive and find a false alarm, than ignore it and later discover it was real.

Oh man I bet the girls were acting strange and had to leave quickly because they knew what was going to happen. I bet some criminals are holding there family hostage and forced them to distract you while they broke into your house. Now the poor girls are sobbing out on the street hoping that this will get them there parents back.

Or some starving criminal just broke in and you will get there just in time to see him gun down your parents. As your mothers pearl necklace falls and breaks on the floor you will scream to the heavens and plot revenge against all criminals. Along with your faithful butler you will dress as a bat and fight crime in a city that does not deserve you.

Anyway paranoid delusions aside its probably a false alarm. But on the off hand chance its not don't just go bumbling into trouble.

Figure out where the alarm was triggered first and then once you know that find out a way to check on it safely. Do you have any security personnel here? Or does your dad wander around with a fire poker when this sort of thing happens?

Orion 2014/08/14(Thu)15:18 No. 589434 ID: 0eaf76
File 140805470472.png - (48.53KB , 1100x900 , 10.png )

>Investigate

Since this was basically the highlight of your day, you decide to investigate. You were really in no danger since you had hired security guards around the mansion who could control the situation easily. Father was merely there to dismiss them and turn off the alarm once the problem was resolved. He and your Mother were the only two who knew the passcodes to disarm and arm the security system, so naturally they would be in charge once everything went back to normal. On your way out, you grabbed something you could use as a weapon should you need to defend yourself, a marble statue on your dresser. A few guards rushed past you in the hallway but you managed to stop one by grabbing his arm.

"Hey, where's the emergency at?"

The security guard turned to face you, posture straight and forthright. "The kitchen, sir! There has been a break-in, so please stay here for your safety." He turns to leave after a polite bow of his head. The kitchen, huh? Then maybe it WAS some homeless person breaking in. You doubt that was possible though...the kitchen was well away from any doors or windows that could lead to the outside. Striding down the stairs, keeping your eyes on the floor, your mind was startled awake by a figure bashing into you. Flying backwards you fall flat onto the staircase, thanking the lord that the stairs were carpeted. Looking up in a daze, you find yourself face to face with some strange kid, around your age by the looks of it. She wore a dirty, gray hoodie and...had no pants...? It was a mouse girl, with dark black hair and brown, speckled fur. She had an uncomfortable odor to her, and her hair was disturbingly greasy. You felt unclean just by looking at her. She pushed herself off of you and shook her head, blinking to stare straight at you.

"Eh, sorry about that...! But I gotta get going!" With a confident smirk she clambered over the top of your body and sprinted upstairs. A few moments later a few guards came rushing by. They skidded to a stop when they saw you.

"Young Master! Have you seen an intruder?! I think she came around here somewhere...no need to panic, she's not armed! We just need to know where she went!"

>Lie

>Tell the truth.

A mouse!
Your instincts to catch must be flourishing!
Lie.

point down the hall.

Lie, say you haven't seen here.

Then run like Rich People Hell after her. God help you if your pampered and lavish upbringing hasn't made you physically fit enough to catch up with a presumed vagrant.

>>589434
Lie. She's not armed and she's not violent, so nobody is in any danger. Also, it's your parents house and they're jerks.

Tell them you'd like to talk with the intruder if they catch her, then go upstairs to find her.

What are your personal finances like? What's your personal discretionary spending and expense budget like?

Offer her food, a shower, and conversation, all during which the guards will not become involved. Find out who she is and why she's there.
Consider offering her employment - if she was coming out of the kitchens when the alarm sounded then she managed to get TO the kitchens WITHOUT them sounding. That means she knows enough about bypassing security in order to get deep INTO a moderately secure building undetected, and she's better at getting in than your guards are at keeping her out.
Find out her situation.
If she's homeless, broke, a runaway, or otherwise suffering financial hardship then she's obviously self-taught with a natural talent.
In that case, then if your finances allow you should offer her a job as your personal security consultant. Low but reliable pay that's enough to get her by, and her official duties would be advising you on security matters and conducting performance testing (As-in: You send her to sneak into one of your own buildings with a set of objectives and a get-out-of-jail-free card, and have her report on the building's security weaknesses). When not assisting you, her primary job function would be furthering her education in security and related fields. Tie her salary to her level of degree.
Since she likely has only a high school education at best, a contract term of 10-15 years would be the lowest you'd want to offer - the real payoff would be after she has a solid education, so you don't want her to have the option to pack up and leave once she's valuable.


If she's not broke or homeless then find out what the heck she was doing in your house.

>>589448
woah woah woah, the guards don't have to listen to us. they are asking where she went not asking for orders. our dad pays them, so they listen to his orders.

>>589449
Guards aside, he has some good ideas though.

That being said, the main reason I want us to catch her is because we seem to be rather lacking in friends.

Speaking of which, how is our relationship with Quivel? Is he the Alfred/Jeeves type, or just a longtime servant whom you don't have much of a rapport with?

Fib, and then go after her yourself. This will be interesting, at least.

She was stealing food, I think. She stuffed her hoodie, at least.

>>589449
The guards don't have to do what we ask, but they might anyway. We don't know how well the guards know Charles, or know what his relationship with his dad is like, but common sense says don't piss-off your boss's kid.

Asking them to let us speak with her costs us nothing.
At worst they'll tell their boss, and even in the worst case that's really easy to explain away: "I wanted to find out how a half-starved drifter managed to sneak past our security all the way into our kitchen before somebody noticed."

Orion 2014/08/14(Thu)20:00 No. 589477 ID: 0eaf76
File 140807164958.png - (46.17KB , 1100x900 , 11.png )

>Lie.

"I haven't seen anyone. Also, if you find the intruder, make sure you tie them down properly so I can talk to them." The guards saluted to you promptly before taking off down the hallway to search elsewhere. You let out a relieved sigh and rush up the stairs. Once you reach the second floor, you feel something wrap around your neck, slamming you against the wall. It was the mouse girl from before, she had you pinned down with her hand on your shoulder, the other hand holding a banana at your throat.

"Why did you lie and protect my identity...? What game are you playing, buddy?!" She had an intensely furious look on her face, despite the fact that you just saved her hide.

"Be a bit more gracious! I did that for you!"

"What does a fancy fat cat like you even do with that much sympathy? Hmph!" She stepped back away from you, shoving the banana in her hoodie pocket.

"Well thank you, anyways! I could've gotten out just fine on my own, though."

"Yeah alright, what's someone like you doing in my house? How'd you even get in?"

"Pfft, with your security system? It was easy. I'm a mouse, stealth is my middle name! Not literally, my middle name is not 'stealth'."

You roll your eyes.

"And as for the reason, I kinda needed some food, maybe a place to crash if I didn't get caught. Now I guess I'll have to sleep in that trash bag behind that other house...it was pretty cozy."

"So you're homeless?"

"Yeah...ran away. Didn't like my family's vibe, ya know? They were crampin' my style." She hitched her hands on her own hips, looking around the hallway. She whistled out loud, laughing silently. "What a nice place. It's really fancy-schmancy! My name's Mia, by the way! What's yours?"

"Charles...and as for a place to stay...you could stay here, I suppose." If you called Quivel you're sure he wouldn't report you to your Father. Quivel has been your right-hand man since you were a baby. Even if he didn't show it, you knew he had a soft spot for you. He was a much better parent than either of your own biological ones.

"Oh really? You'd really let me stay over? How do I know you ain't lying?" She pointed an accusing finger at your nose, squinting. "Well if you insist. I can't really say no, given my current situation... So where's your room?" You led the runaway girl to the destination, closing the door behind you. She immediately went to sit down in the chair that sat against your wall. You shuddered, seeing how dirty she was.

"Perhaps you should bathe..." You offer. Mia cocked her head at you.

"Ya mean like a shower? You really mean it?" You wave your arm towards the door connecting to your private bathroom. Mia's eyes lit up and she began to strip right in front of you. You scream out before she could get her hoodie off of her body.

"HEY! Go in the bathroom!" You avert your eyes, her being half-naked already wasn't helping the situation. But something flashes under her clothes that catches your attention momentarily. You could see what looked like scars under the jacket...but you didn't have time to look at them thoroughly.

"What? Ya never see a naked chick before? Ahh, alright, ya big weenie." The mouse hopped into the bathroom and closed the door much to your relief. After a few moments you hear the water begin to run, giving you time to sit back down on your bed and think this situation through. Should you really be keeping her in your house? You didn't know what kind of past she had hidden behind her belt. Was she a member of the mafia? Maybe you've watched too many movies...

>Keep her in your room for a bit.

>Find out how to get rid of her.

Just tell her we don't know for how long we can keep her hidden, and if something comes up, she may need to bail quickly.

scars on a kid never means good things.

>>589484
Well, she left because she didn't her family, and she's got scars, which probably means abuse (but not definitely, granted).

Still, yeah, let her know you can give her a place to crash for a while, but she should be ready to bug out if she gets caught.

Was she only wearing that hoodie? She wasn't wearing any pants...
That's a bit disturbing, a homeless girl straight up walking on the street with no pants. Poor thing.
Keep her here for a bit, I guess. Most interesting thing to happen yet.

You got any cheap jeans she can wear? A t-shirt?

>Was she a member of the mafia?
Doubtful.

>keep her here / get rid of her?
The question would more be if you could keep her concealed long enough that she could leave on her terms, or if she gets caught by the staff first.

And a longer term stay might involve finding a place on the property no one would check. Your parents would likely not be happy to find you'd been keeping a girl in your room.

While she's bathing... maybe you could find her a change of clothes? There must be something her size, somewhere, in a house this size. Servants clothes, hand me downs boxed up? Stuff from wen you, or other family members were smaller? Seriously. Get her pants.

>>589477
She gets to stay for like, one night. That's it, do not allow a stranger to stay in your house long enough to screw up anything for you. Giving her a bath, some food, and a change of clothes is far more than she expected to get.

Let her stay, offer her some pants.

>>589477
Call your butler. Since dinner just ended it shouldn't be a big deal to have him bring some leftovers up to your room, and while he's doing that he can start washing her clothes. You set out some of your own casual clothes for her, or just have her wear a towel until her clothes are done.
Ask about her family (Getting a last name would be great, as would what's wrong with them), how long she's been out on the street, and why she picked your house (I'm betting it's partly for the thrill of it, and because she feels no guilt stealing food from such an opulent place.)

She's clearly street-smarter than you, and is better at finding security holes than the people your dad employs. These are both very useful skills which make her an asset, and the nature of this encounter will make acquiring her easier and cheaper going forward than waiting until you actually need those skills.

Once she's eating, ask her if she would be interested in an income. Specifically, as a personal security consultant. Her job would primarily be to accompany you in public and keep an eye out for trouble, and occasionally testing the security of your own buildings by breaking into them. No jumping in front of bullets or anything like that, just being the watchful one while hanging out.
And, as per what I said before, when not out with you her job would be to further her education towards being a security expert.

You can sum it up as: "Be a sheltered rich boy's friend for room, board, money, and an education."

>>589512
Unless you think she'd work for just room and board. Then offer that. :V

I'm tempted to mock/tease her for holding us up with a banana, but serious issues first.

I see no pressing reason why she should leave (we're certainly not lacking in provisions, and we could use some company), but if that's the case, then your folks are going to find out sooner or later. The question us, do we tell them relatively soon, or wait until they find out on their own?

Once they know, we could argue that she'd make a good security consultant (or something like that), that if the media found out we'd only get good press, and that this house is practically empty anyway.

>make her an asset
Actually, long term, I like that idea. In addition to being nice here, or getting to do something interesting, befriending her means you could have your own off the books snoop and sneak thief to call on when you needed one.

Let her stick around a while before you make her any concrete offers. She's definitely distrustful, and she might think you have some unwholesome ulterior motive if you choose to trust someone you've only just met. You need some time to get to know her, too, before you offer her anything like that. Maybe you won't be able to stand each other.

Orion 2014/11/06(Thu)23:02 No. 600625 ID: 0eaf76
File 141534374103.png - (37.39KB , 1100x900 , 12.png )

>Clothes.

Before you decide to take any plan of action, you start to burrow through your dresser for anything she can wear besides a filthy hoodie... After about 5 minutes you find an old t-shirt and sweatpants. They were a bit small on you, so they should be perfect for someone her size. What should you do with her? If you kept her here...would your parents really be that mad? She could be enlisted as a security expert! But would SHE be ok with that? It's quite possible that she wishes to simply stay here, refuel, and leave as soon as possible. You hurry over to your intercom and call Quivel.

"Yes Young Master?" His voice is a bit grainy over the microphone.

"Ah, Quivel, can you come down to my room real fast?"

"Of course, sire. Give me a moment." Quivel hung up the phone and you release the intercom's button. Quivel would surely know what to do...he was usually the level-headed person in situations like this. It took no more than 90 seconds for Quivel to knock at your door. You hurriedly let him in and immediately recognize the confused look on his face when he realizes there is someone in your bathroom.

"Young Master, please forgive me if I am intruding on your erm, personal life. But is there an individual in your shower?"

"Y-Yes...listen, you know the burglar that set off the alarm? She kind of...decided to come in and use my shower. Under my permission of course. It's a girl who ran away from home...she needs a place to stay, and food."

"This doesn't seem like it's very safe, sir."

"No...it doesn't."

"What would you like me to help you with? I won't do anything unless ordered to do so by you. I know you, and trust your decisions, Young Master."

"Good. Ok, first of all, I need meals brought up to my room, and second of all, I need to know if we might be able to employ a security specialist here. If she's able to bypass our system to get far enough to break into the kitchen...she must know enough to help us, right?"

"I am sad to say, sir, but the employment positions are all run by your Father." I was afraid he was going to say that. Talking to my Father about all of this would be a bad course of action to take, at least right now. She would be arrested, maybe even killed!

"Ack! Why are all of yer soaps for men?! I'm gonna smell like a freakin' pimp!" You shudder a bit, hiding your face underneath your hands. Quivel raised an eyebrow, suggesting something with what little facial expression he had on.

"I will gladly bring up food for you, but as for helping you hire her, I am no help. Of course, I will also vow to keep her a secret as much as I can, Young Master. But if I were to be approached by either of your parents, I am vowed to uphold my honesty."

"I understand, Quivel. Thank you anyways." The butler gives a polite bow and leaves through the door, closing it shut behind him. You lay down on your bed, absolutely exhausted already. Your headache felt like it was returning with a vengeance as well. The bathroom door opened up, a naked mouse girl stepping out from the steamy shower.

"That's the fanciest shower I think I've had in my life! Your shower has like, 5 different functions to it. It massaged my back! I feel bitchin'!" Mia's language, while coarse and offensive, was a bit refreshing, if you were going to be brutally honest with yourself.

"Here, I got you some clothes. Just put them on before someone sees you, okay?" Out in the open, you could clearly see the scars now. There were lash-like markings across her chest, belly and sides. Only on her torso. There were also patches of scarred tissue on her arms, back and neck. It was a bit gruesome. It wouldn't be impossible to say she had abusive parents. Mia, thankfully, cooperates and throws on your clothes.

"Oy, are you sure you're ok with me stayin' here? I ain't gonna bring no murderers here if that's what yer afraid of, but it seems kinda weird that some fancy-as-fly fat cat is letting me stay in his 5-star estate, eh?" She shot you a playfully suspicious look, grinning. She seemed a bit neurotic. Why was everyone so strange? The only sane people around here was you and Quivel.

"If you want me to leave at any point in time, just gimme a ring, a'ight? I won't be offended or nothing. I kind of expect it actually, ya know? I'm house trained and stuff, but living with a complete stranger seems crazy!" You rub the bridge of your nose, groaning. Until the food arrives, now would be a good time to ask her any questions you have...or explain things about yourself. Get to know each other, the whole shabang.

>Questions?

What's with the scars?

>>600628
woah, bit much too fast. let's start with something a LITTLE less heavy

>>600625
No, Charles. You don't want to have your father employ her; you want her working for you.
Lets be honest here: your father most likely outright expects you to have your own agenda and start plotting on how to advance yourself. If he found out you hired somebody as a surreptitious 'security consultant', then he would be mad you got caught.

Also, she's not neurotic. Her behavior is perfectly rational, and fits what we know and have inferred about her life. It's rather obvious she has lead a hard life, and she's trying to figure out what your angle is; rich princes in white don't bump into poor thief girls and whisk them away to live in a fairytale palace, and she probably had that naive dream beaten out of her long ago. She knows you want something, and she'll be doing things to test you until she knows what this is going to cost her.

Notice how she didn't cover herself when she left the bathroom? That was for two reasons:
1: Gauge your reaction to see if you were planning on sexually exploiting her.
2: Show off her disfiguring scars to make herself less appealing.
Your immediate response was to tell her to get some clothes on, which tells her you aren't planning on doing anything like that. Currently, she's giving you both an easy out if you HAD that sort of intent but lost interest after seeing her body.

Naturally, since our angle is mutually beneficial our best solution is cautious honesty - we give her a general idea of idea of what our angle is, and reason to trust us.
We'll chat with her, and give her some help as a gesture of good will. She'll only be comfortable as long as she has an exit strategy, so the best way to keep her is to ensure she can walk away at any time free and clear, but give her enticing reasons to stay.

"First, the important details - how long you've been out on the street, are there any people looking for you with intent to harm or exploit you, do you have any untreated medical problems, and anything else that puts you at risk. I won't kick you out for being at risk, but I might be able to help solve some of your problems if I know what you're facing. Any help I provide there would be no strings attached.

Second, the basics. How old you are, how far you got in school, your last name, that sort of thing. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but it would help get a better picture of where you are now.

Third, what you plan to do in the next few months to years, what kind of future you want for yourself, what your hobbies and interests are, and generally getting to know what kind of person you are. My life is steeped in formalities, politicking, and deception; it'd be nice to have a friend that doesn't consider friendship a last-man-standing sport.
Plus? You got all the way to our kitchen before somebody spotted you. That took talent, Mia, and I think if you were dealt a better hand you could do great things."

Ok, you need to show you're not just a pile of money that solves problems with more money. The best way to do this is start solving some of her problems with the skills and knowledge you have that she doesn't.
First, get a P.O. box. You need to have access to an address that your parents don't know about and couldn't access even if they did. It should set you back about $10/month, and is well worth the investment.
Second, we know she doesn't have access to health care, and those abrasions and contusions on her body could be useful in solving her other problems if we could get a doctor to see them as part of the visit. Solution? Take her to Urgent Care to get her injuries examined. If you have to then you can pay the cost out of pocket, but get a receipt.
While you are there you can likely get the staff to help her apply to medicaid or the local equivalent and help her fill it out, using the P.O. box for her address. There should be a spot to ask for medicaid to cover recent medical expenses, so claim the out of pocket costs. She has no income. She'll likely need to put down a living address, but "displaced" would work for now.

Next, we know her parents are a problem, and if she gets picked up off the street she'll be sent back into their clutches. Solution? Go get a minor emancipation petition and help her fill it out. Here you can give the name and phone number of the doctor who examined her to support her petition on the grounds that she is not safe at home. If needed, you can attest that you will see to her immediate needs while she's looking for a permanent residence, but request the record be sealed out of fear of reprisal. If she's 16 or 17 then the petition will almost certainly go through - she clearly can't go home, the waiting list for foster care is longer than the time left before she's an adult, and she (Hopefully!) isn't wanted for any crimes.

At this point, if she doesn't have anybody out to get her you would probably want to help her apply for public housing and food stamps. That would give her enough autonomy and security that she doesn't need your help, which would make her all the more willing to trust you. At that point you can start finding out if you get along well, and if so you have a friend you can actually trust with the option of grooming her to be a proper security consultant - again, no surprises, she knows what you're both getting out of it and what you're each paying

The total cost of getting her set-up (Or attempting it, at least) is a day of your time and maybe a few hundred dollars (Most of which you are likely to get back), but the potential payback is incalculably more valuable. The risk/reward analysis tilts heavily in favor of helping her get her feet on solid ground.

What I'd like in exchange is, A, knowing how you broke in like this, B, anything you might've already stole that wasn't food, and C, I don't know a friend?

Somebody that actually knows how to have fun.
Living here for here isn't an option, buuuuut, I'm not sure.
I think it's possible to scam your father into hiring her, to be honest. Have her leave, then come back in a day or so as a bodyguard hire.
Your father won't expect you to be planning with the food thief.

Ask her if she has any fighting moves and thinks she might be a good bodyguard.
With the income, she might be able to afford a decent close-by apartment, if bodyguards don't have living quarters.

>>600629
Yeah. That is not something you bring up right off the bat, or without a good deal of trust, I think.

>why are you doing this
Well, it's not as if it's a difficulty for me to help, which makes the choice between being helpful or troublesome much simpler. I'm somewhat inclined to the opinion that resourcefulness should pay off, and you showed that today. And frankly, your break in has been one of the most interesting things to happen around here in ages, why not cut in?

Perhaps my situation is nowhere near as harsh as yours has been, but we are both, in a way, trapped by circumstances. Why not do something about that?

>questions
General get to know each other stuff, leading up to how she ended up having to break into fat-cats' places in order to eat.

>>600633
Some of this a little ambitious for right away, but I agree. It's really not much of an investment for you to help her out, and a potential friend and ally is a very good return (even if she's a long way from being skilled enough to be a personal sneak thief, spy, or what have you. Someone with a very different perspective from your own is still useful in shorter term dealings and plans). Cultivating people loyal to you is always good resource (even more so than getting your father to give her a sinecure and you owing him one). For people in power, those are fewer and farther between than you might think.

>also
Be careful. We're covered, so long as you keep from putting Quivel in a situation where he can't lie for you. That means you can't give your parents anything suspicious to question.

>>600625
> why we're doing this

Simple. We have no friends. Well, actually we have Quivel, but he's hardly a peer, and it's still rather lonely when your only contact with people is your butler.

Orion 2014/11/08(Sat)23:00 No. 600855 ID: 0eaf76
File 141551642032.png - (37.31KB , 1100x900 , 13.png )

Well, the main thing here was that you were incredibly lonely. Being locked up in this household with only servants and a butler to keep you company wasn’t exactly an ideal way to spend a life…

“Having you here is nice company, Mia. I won’t kick you out, simply because it’s easy for me to help you, and also because it’s easy for you to help me. I’ve spent my entire life without many friends, so a lively person like you to brighten things up is welcomed.”

Her eyes went wide when you told her that. Her mouth went from a shocked expression to a glad smile.

“Wow, fat cat, you ain’t so bad. I can kinda get where yer comin’ from. Don’t suppose your folks pay too much attention to ya. Too busy makin’ money, am I right?”

She hopped onto your bed, kicking her feet up and laying down on your pillows. Now that she was actually clean, you really didn’t care if she touched your things. You thought about maybe putting in the investment of getting her medical attention, a P.O. box, even protection from her family...but how much of it was actually your business to butt in? The scars didn’t need any immediate attention, they looked pretty old from how healed the skin was. She seemed just fine on her own as well. Eventually you will have to consider establishing her as a more...grounded member of society, not just a runaway delinquent.

“So how exactly did you even break into my estate? And how did you get into the kitchen? I can’t imagine any normal person would be able to do that. Our security system is top-notch.”

Mia just stared at you with that cocky smile on her face. She sat up straight and gave you a casual shrug of the shoulders.

“It was just a matter of not setting off the alarms. Yer security set-up uses stuff like motion sensors, cameras, electric door locks, the works. I just had to find a way to avoid all those things, ya know? Didja know that yer basement is crawling with unprotected entryways?! Bet ya didn’t know! But...the basement is also pretty fuckin’ nasty, so no sane person would probs go through that place.”

You shudder to think of her trudging through God knows what in your basement. Sewage, old storage rooms, dust, rats, etc. No one ever went down there, not even the servants.

“Mmm...if you have the ability to break into my house...then that must mean you’re pretty talented at that sort of thing. Do you know self-defense moves? Judo? Karate? Taekwondo? Street moves?”

“Eh?! Of course I do! Who’dya think I am?! Wandering the streets without even knowing how’ta defend my sorry ass.”

The mouse hopped up from the bed, bringing her fists up to her face, getting into a fighting stance. She circled around you, throwing fake punches at your body. You flinched each time, it was a bit embarrassing.

“But knowing how to fight people ain’t gonna help fill my stomach, you see. So I just break into people’s kitchens and take whatever they ain’t gonna miss. Bread, cheese, uh...stale, expired stuff. Mice can digest most things, fat cat, so we ain’t picky.”

Well, at least she didn’t eat anything too fancy. Would employing her to work under you really be a good idea? It seemed risky...but what was the harm? You could trust her, right? Perhaps you were just naive, but she seemed like a sincere person to trust. Even if she declines, you still ought to ask her.

“So, I have a proposition to make. do you think...that you might be interested in...working for me? As a security consultant? A bodyguard, if you will.”

“You serious, fat cat? Me? A job here? HAH! You must be crazy in the noggin’! Ya think I’ll fall for some joke like that!”

“I’m serious! You could honestly work for me! I would pay you, give you a place to stay, everything!”

“...You for real? Hmm...I’ve never had a job before.”

“With your skill set...being my bodyguard would be a piece of cake!”

“Ey, I got nothing better to do. Might as well start making somethin’ of my life.”

“You aren’t in any trouble right? No one’s trying to assassinate you or anything?”

“Heh, nah. Even if I do sneak into people’s houses, I ain’t never gonna get caught, and I don’t involve myself with no gangs anyways.”

“Well, consider this your job interview, tell me a few basic things. Your age, last name, where you came from, all that.”

“Oh boy, where do I start! Well, I’m Mia. Mia Vics. I’m like 17 years old or whatever, uh, I live about 10 miles from here, down in the ghetto. We ain’t got a lot of money, if you couldn’t see that already. Uh, I like to eat, a lot. I think dolphins are like, the raddest thing in the world. They talk to each other usin’ their clicks and squeaks, how sick is that?!”

“...Very sick.”

“RIGHT?! Anyways, I ain’t got AIDS or nothin’, so I don’t need shots. If we wanna get the boo-hoo sob story shit out of the way, my Dad killed my Momma cuz’ he drank too much booze or whatever. But no hard feelings, my Mom wasn’t exactly a model citizen either, if ya catch my drift. Me and my sisters kinda had to take his shit until I decided, ya know what?! Fuck it, I’m gonna get outta here. So I bailed!”

“Wow...that’s…”

“Real sad, ain’t it? I don’t like dwellin’ on stuff like that though. Makes my mouth taste bitter. Did I pass my interview or what?”

>>600855
It's a bit early to trust her, but you can trust she'll do whatever is in her own best interests.

"I have more questions, but you're doing fine so far.
How far did you get in school? Are you opposed to continuing your education, such as with a trade school or certification programs?
How good are you at reading people?
Do you have any experience with computer espionage?

Do you have any hobbies or interests?
What kind of place have you been staying in? Were your sisters staying with you?"

Effective for a job interview.
One final question, can she read people well?
Parents want you to find someone and get married, so you need a little help on the dating side. It's a little hard to trust some of these people, what they want, who they are. If it's wise to date them, should you become interested. Then if things are going well, you might need help keeping it going well.

Honestly, if she tries to steal more stuff on the job, not like you can't replace it.
Cool, great, now we just need a way to FAKE an introduction with your Dad, say you were concerned with last nights break in and would like a bodyguard. You already went through the trouble of finding one yourself, she has no military experience, but she's tough and experienced despite her age. And she's a friend, so it's easy to get along with her shadowing you all the time.

>but how much of it was actually your business to butt in?
I think we'll discover that over time. If there's stuff that needs butting into, it'll become apparent, an/or she'll ask for help when she trusts us enough.

>No one ever went down there, not even the servants.
Then no wonder she could break in there. No one ever checks that it's secure. Interesting experiment: you'll have to see if anyone figures out that's how she broke in. If not, that means there's a hole in security you or Mia could use if necessary. Or possibly, you could "figure out" that's where the hole in security is for your father, if you need him impressed or indebted to you at some point.

>You could trust her, right? Perhaps you were just naive, but she seemed like a sincere person to trust.
>Did I pass my interview or what?
I'd say she passes.

As for trust, it's a matter to of what extent. Obviously you're going to need to get to know her better, but she doesn't seem like she's going to immediately rip you off, here.

>You could honestly work for me!
The question is how open we are about hiring her, though. Are we hiring her off the books, and hidden from your father, and most of the staff, or do we want to make it official? (Obviously, there's a trade off in risks and rewards depending on how we do it. There's also the matter of her expectations- if she thinks she's getting a 'real' job, she might be disappointed it ends up being a secret we have to hide).

...if we were going to legitimize her job with the household, so she can come and go in without issue, the only real move I see would be to take responsibility for the break in. Go to your father with the holes she found in your security and pretend that you had hired her, from the start, to find them for you.

Orion 2014/11/10(Mon)20:20 No. 601390 ID: 0eaf76
File 141567960601.png - (40.51KB , 1100x900 , 14.png )

She was trustworthy enough to hire her for the job. You wouldn't put your life on the line for her, but maybe this could be a worthwhile friendship. Frankly, you were willing to take the risk for a possible mouse guard.

"So, what kind of education do you have? Do you have any future plans?"

"I mean, sure, I dropped outta school my 11th year...but I got a decent education, ye. Reason I dropped was to take care’a my sisters and shit. Got a...job-thing workin' for my neighbor, but that wasn't really legit, ya know? As for future plans...staying alive is my main concern right now."

"Where have you been staying this entire time? Since you no longer have a house..."

"Eh, alleyways, dumpsters, whatever works. Too poor to afford a motel, hah!"

You can feel your own body tremble at the notion of sleeping in a trash can. What kind of diseases does she possibly harbor?!

"Any, uh, special talents? Um... Oh! How well can you read people?"

"Read people? Whaddya mean?"

"Sort of...can you ever tell what people are thinking? Can you determine expressions?"

"Oh sure! Comes with the territory, fat cat! Gotta know how people are feelin' if you wanna stay outta trouble. Know how far ta push, how far to bother people for what’chu want."

So far she's proven to be a perfect candidate for your first body guard. Not too many technical abilities, but she has a lot of gut feeling. Now it was merely a matter of presenting her to your Father without him being suspicious. You'll most likely mention that you felt unsafe and decided to scout out for a good security guard to personally escort you around. That would take care of people being sketchy about her always lingering around. You would also explain that, while she's inexperienced, she shows great potential and should be considered for a position. To be honest, if it involves you, he probably wouldn't care. He mostly left you alone your whole life, assuming you knew better than to get in too much trouble. Same for your Mother as well. Ah well, should still try to impress him. Should you try and dress Mia up a bit? Or leave her as is? Presentation is important...

>Fancify your mouse.

>Leave her in casual attire.

>>601390
>Disease
Don't be racist.
But totally check her into a doctor later.

>>601390
>Not fancifying

As if she prefers masculine or feminine clothes.

If it's the former, she gets the snappiest fucking suit we can find.

Body guards get suits.
Suit her up!

>>601390
Ok, she's hired.
The exact terms of her employment are fluid right now, but there are a few terms you're going to have to set right now:
First, her compensation: Basic necessities (Room and board, clothing, toiletries, utilities, and etc) are her primary compensation. Her monetary compensation will consist of a small stipend - say, $100/month or so. She can clear out one of the basement rooms to use now, and will be moved to better accommodations later.
She is also not expected to pay for work-related items, but only as long as she makes the request to you and lets you handle the purchasing. You'll go out and get her some appropriate work clothing wear and a cell phone within the next day or two. (Look for a cell phone with bluetooth and a camera capable of high quality pictures and video, and a bluetooth headset with very high audio quality. Buy software to automatically record all phone calls, if that's legal where you live. You don't care if she uses the phone for personal stuff, but you DO want to record any evidence in case something happens. Get the same for yourself.)

Second, she has to continue her education. Either returning to high school or getting a GED. This counts as part of her duties.

Third, she has to get a drivers license or non-driver ID from the DMV. You'll make up a business card for her identifying her as a security consultant under your employ with permission to be on your premises, with your signature and a valid date range - specifically, from today to 60 days from now. Get it laminated. This is her provisional employee ID, and means that even if she gets found out nothing bad can happen to her. You'll issue her a new one if, after 2 months, this arrangement works out.

Fourth, you'll see to it that she gets health insurance one way or another, and she is expected to use it - A physical as soon as possible and every 6 months from then on, and keeping up to date on all recommended immunizations (Plus DTAP, even if your doctor doesn't think it's necessary).

We will not be telling your dad about her for awhile. He will dismiss your concerns if you bring up now, but if you take him aside two months from now and say "By the way, I hired a personal security consultant because I was disappointed with our existing security. She's been living here for two months coming and going as she pleases and our current security never noticed." then he'll be hard pressed to doubt her skill OR the need for her position.

If you're hiring a bodyguard, you buy them armor.

Just give her some Kevlar and a fancy steampunk costume.

Suit and Kevlar vest. We'll probably need to look into getting her some training too (given that computers are a thing, probably firearms).

>You can feel your own body tremble at the notion of sleeping in a trash can. What kind of diseases does she possibly harbor?!
There's a difference between filth and disease. It's not like she was rolling in medical waste. In a city dumpster, the two largest components are probably discard packaging and food waste. Gross, and certainly higher risk for infection and a compromised immune system, but it hardly makes her a plague rat.

Honestly, bigger contributing factors to illness living on the street would probably be substance abuse, insufficient food, and exposure to the elements.

>Fancify your mouse?
We can probably find her something more suitable than your old hand me downs at some point, but making her fancy is something you would have to build up to, slowly, over time, I would think. She's no butler or french maid, anyways, and she's not going to function as well in clothes she's not comfortable in, anyways.

Really, it's a compromise between functional and presentable we're shooting for.

>Got a...job-thing workin' for my neighbor, but that wasn't really legit, ya know?
That's the second time she's made a reference to the legitimacy of work. Means we should at least be keeping her on our books, if not our fathers.

>>601429
I'd agree with most of this, although, I have to ask myself, what do we really gain by concealing her from our father? Are we putting her at risk, and disadvantaging her, simply for the sake of oneupmanship? I mean, yes, it's a cool play if it works, but I'm unsure if we're being selfish at her expense making it.

>>601439
>>601520
Kevlar is only effective against bullets, and limits mobility and stamina. In a street fight it would only hurt Mia's chances, and that's the far more likely scenario.

Her job when we're out and about is to keep an eye out for dangerous people and dangerous situations, act as a witness and report anything that goes wrong, and provide a basic level of defense against thugs and angry drunks.
These are things she can already do, and she understands the risks involved.
We're not paying her to take a bullet for us. When we're out on the street she should be in casual clothing so that people assume she's a friend, not a guard. In the remote chance that somebody tries to kidnap Charles at gunpoint in order to do whatever, the best Mia could do is keep herself safe, memorize everything, take a picture of the license plate, and immediately call the police.

>>601523
Well, if we tell him now what would we say? He doesn't understand how horrible our security is, and Mia is literally just a street urchin who broke into our house. She has no credentials.
At best? He would assume we're getting an early start on keeping a mistress.

>>601556
>Kevlar is only effective against bullets
A common myth. While often a slightly different weave, slash-resistant and stab-resistant garments are also made of Kevlar (and other aramids). Some vests do double-duty as stab-resistant and Level IIA bullet resistant 'soft' vests.

Considering we don't actually think our life is in danger, I'm not sure she needs excessive kitting up, yet.

>>601556
Also: We don't want Charles father to know, since a commoner girl moving in is VERY unseemly, and it could easily ruin their reputation. Shit, the security company we hired was probably picked entirely based on price and prestige - specifically, both being VERY high.
He would NEVER allow Mia to live here if he knew.

Fortunately, if NOBODY ever uses the basement then we can give Mia one of the rooms down there. Given the size of the house, there's probably even a bathroom down there. She could have a complete living quarters down there and nobody would ever know.

Why don't we ask first and then do it anyway if he says no? I'd rather we make SURE he wouldn't allow this rather than just assume, and if he shoots us down, he probably wouldn't expect us to flat out disobey him like that. Partially because we seem to be obedient, mostly because he barely acknowledges our existence to begin with.

A suit.
Just a suit.
Nothing is more stylish than a suit.

Orion 2014/11/12(Wed)15:16 No. 601801 ID: 0eaf76
File 141583418978.png - (39.54KB , 1100x900 , 15.png )

>Suit her up!

A suit would be quite flashing, wouldn’t it? Of course, when you’re out and about she would be dressed in more casual attire. You were thinking along the lines of a sort of secret service...her acting as your friend, but in reality, she’s your super powerful mouse guard! For the sake of presenting her to our Father, however, we must make her at least a little bit fancy.

“How do you feel about suits? Have...you even worn a suit before?”

“Nope. Can’t imagine they’re that bad, though. Gimme one, I’ll tell ya what I think of it.”

As you dig through your wardrobe for something that might fit her, you start to think about all the extra luxuries that would come with her working here. She would have to get a cell phone, of course. A high quality one, with bluetooth capabilities. Her salary, while not very high, would have to be a decent amount...though, you’d detract from that to pay for room and board and such. Work-related purchases would be left up to you, and additionally you do plan on checking her into a doctor fairly soon to get her checked up, in case she IS harboring something that just isn’t showing itself right now.

Now, about her education...you would like to urge her to continue onto college and get a GED...but something told you she would be against that idea. You could always just threaten her…

It didn’t take too long for you to pull out a suit of your own, holding it up to her for reference. You had a lot of suits from when you were younger, and one of them was bound to fit her.

“Are you sure you wanna let me take one-a these? They look pretty ‘spensive.”

“It’s fine. I don’t wear these anymore so you can have them.”

“Why do you keep em’ around if you don’t even wear em’?”

“I’m not sure. Anyways, go throw this on in the bathroom.”

Mia salutes you and hops away to do as she was told. You couldn’t believe you were actually going through with this...taking a burglar and employing her under your parents’ noses. You would bring the subject up to Father...but perhaps it would be best to not officialize anything until you get confirmation that it wouldn’t get Mia arrested or something.

The bathroom door opened up, and out stepped Mia. She...looked really sharp.

“Man, I feel like a real big wig now! Hahaha! Gimme a restaurant to own or somethin’!”

She twirled in a circle, cackling to herself. Once she was done, she gave you a knowing glance.

“Ya think I look sexy?”

No.

Get some top heavy Kevlar.

It's not false advertising if her dress is proportional to her sizes.

You don't wear a suit to look sexy. You wear a suit to look professionally intimidating.
And you do look professionally intimidating. You wear it well, especially with your short hair.

If you were born into a better circumstances, you definitely could have done well in business. Probably make a DECA scholarship. Admittedly her accent needs work, but somewhat charming nonetheless for a gruff and honest business woman.

Wait, let me rephrase that.

She's a nice and pretty girl, but that suit makes her look like a guy.

I'd suggest a vest-blouse or something that gives her more of a womanly-figure.

I didn't mean to insult her, just her suit, because it's not a good match.

Oh, and she specifically said "Ya think I look sexy?" so I gave a gender-specific answer because that was what the context seemed to point towards.

If she asked "Do I look good, or what?", then I would have answered yes.

And not in the mathematical context.

Um, she looks...nice? And strong. A bit independent. Let's go with those. Let's avoid answers that might lead to regrets and ruining the first real friendship before it even started.

>>601801
"You look fantastic! You already had the air of confidence, but now you have clothing to match.
Hmm... I think a pair of sunglasses would complete the 'security guard' look."

You should make getting her GED a requirement, but that can wait for awhile. If this is the kind of work she wants to do then she's going to want to get some training and certifications under her belt, and most of those won't take her if she doesn't have a high school diploma or GED.

Right now? She's not trespassing since she is in the house with your permission. Unless your father can prove she broke in, which he can't because your security is crap and doesn't cover the basement, there are no charges he could bring against her.
The worst he could do is make her leave.

You don't want to pay her an amount and then deduct from that room and board, as that not only artificially inflates her gross income (Which could disqualify her from various forms of aid, like medicaid) but tends to be a legal quagmire due to all kinds of employee abuse that happened in the years leading up to WWII. If you're going to provide for her necessities then it's much easier and safer to count them as employee benefits.

>you would like to urge her to continue onto college and get a GED...but something told you she would be against that idea. You could always just threaten her…
Threats are bad. I'd leave it, for now. When she's used to things and she trusts you more, you'll have better leverage to push her to improve herself, and she'll probably be much more willing. Not a project for today, or likely this year.

>Ya think I look sexy?
You look... sure of yourself.

I'm kind of amused a suit that was likely tailored to you fits her so well.

>>601801
Heh, well, you certainly look attractive like that, but sexy sounds wrong.

>Ya think I look sexy?
"On a non-specific scale? Top Percentage."

>>601801
Not gonna lie, I'm a little turned on.

>>601801
"Suits are supposed to look intimidating and professional, not sexy... but yes, it looks good on you."

Orion 2014/11/15(Sat)13:50 No. 602506 ID: 0eaf76
File 141608823897.png - (34.38KB , 1100x900 , 16.png )

"Eh, uh you look very...confident. But please keep in mind that the purpose of a suit is to not look 'sexy', it's to look ah...professionally intimidating.

"Intimidatin'? Pff, I'm already intimidatin'! I don't need no stupid suit to help me there!"

"But perhaps we need something underneath it...a bulletproof vest or something. And a better tailored suit. I doubt you wearing my hand-me-down suits are going to fare well."

Mmm, that reminds you. Perhaps deducting from her salary is a bad idea. Medical attention and such would better be added on as benefits, instead of deductibles. You would have to talk with Quivel later about all the details, he knows a bit more about business than you do, if only because of his years of experience. Just then, you hear a knock on your room door.

"Young Master, it is Quivel. Please allow me to come in."

You crack open the door, relieved to see he's by himself, with a large tray full of food.

"I figured the young mouse would be hungry, so I brought up a meal for her."

"Thanks, Quivel. That's a big help."

"It is my pleasure, Young Master. Is there anything else you need assistance with?"

"Not at the moment, thank you."

"My pleasure~"

Orion 2014/11/15(Sat)13:50 No. 602508 ID: 0eaf76
File 141608825092.png - (42.38KB , 1100x900 , 17.png )

Quivel left the room, closing the door with a click. As soon as you turn around, Mia was on that food as fast as static to a wash of laundry. She tore off the plate covers and scooped food into her mouth, groaning out when she managed to process the flavors.

"Hey! Don't do that on my bed! You'll get food everywhere!"

Mia happily grabbed the tray and moved on the ground.

"Ugh, so messy...where did you learn your manners?"

"A dumpster~"

"Ew..."

TEACH HER.

>>602508
"Ok, we'll have to work on that. Do you know how to eat with forks, spoons, and knives?"

You should probably start working on finding her a place to sleep last night. Consider asking if she saw any unused bedrooms in the basement, since those would be very convenient for her.

Well, manners 101, don't eat over something that will be inconvenient for someone else to clean. There's more, but table manners aren't the priority, now.

Dude, she washed her hands. It's fine.

Just remind her to not smear her hands over anything in the house unless it is a tool or it will break if not catched. Drawers and doors count as tools.

>>602508
Teach her the ways of table manners. And the proceeded to say "Fuck it" and let her be for the entire duration.

WHO CARES ABOUT THE BED? QUICKLY, TEACH HER TO USE FORK AND KNIFE BEFORE SHE RUINS THE SUIT!

>>602786
Oh nooo, the suit! What if she wipes her hands on it?!

>>601801
Well I for one think she looks damn sexy!

And when a girl asks if she looks sexy you either say yes if she does or give her some other random compliment if she doesn't, you never say "no".

>>602508
Aaaahhhh! Tell her to stay fucking still and then teach her about shit like serviettes and cutlery and fucking tables. Manners god dammit!

...She appears to be eating *bread*. Or cheese, maybe.

Chill the hell off, guys.

Orion 2014/11/20(Thu)17:34 No. 604013 ID: 0eaf76
File 141653365951.png - (41.31KB , 1100x900 , 18.png )

“Look, I know that you weren’t brought up in the most…privileged household, but if you’re going to stay and work here, you ought to learn how to behave like a civilized person.”

“Bahh, why? Am I gonna get arrested if I don’t eat like a lady?”

“No, but you might get fired.”

“Ehh…fine, fine.”

Mia swallowed her mouthful and set her handful of food back down onto the plate. She wiped her hand against your carpet, causing you to burst out.

“H-Hey! First of all, you use a napkin or a cloth to clean your hands, not a carpet!”

“Really? I always just wiped my paws against a chair or a wall or somethin’.”

“Ugh…”

You sat down across the floor from her, picking up the silverware from the tray.

“Okay, to start off, you cut things with a knife, pick things up with a fork, and scoop things with a spoon. Like so…”

Carefully, you take a spoonful of potatoes and lift it up for her, handing her the utensil. She shoves it all into her mouth, grinning.

“And take small bites, for God’s sake.”

“Mph, by the by, where am I gonna sleep, tonight? In your room or somethin’?”

“Heavens no. We’ll mostly likely find a room for you in the basement. I’m sure there’s something down there we can use, in the meantime. After you’ve established yourself in the house you’ll be able to find an actual room.”

“Hey I’m cool with that~ Been sleepin’ in a trash bag for the past week.”

You really didn’t need to know that, but no matter…

“Is this how ya use a spoon?”

“Correct! You’re getting the hang of it.”

“Hmm…cool! This is a bit easier, I gotta tell ya.”

“Mmhmm.”

“So, fat cat, got any girlfriends?”

“Me? No, none at all.”

“Pfft, you scare em’ away with your sissy prissy table manners?”

“Not particularly, women just aren’t interesting.”

“…”

“What?”

“Are you gay?”

“Wh-whAT NO! Relationships are just trifling, that’s all!”

“Mmhmm~ Is that so? I ain’t gonna judge ya!”

Mia throws up her arms, a stupid grin on her face. You scrunch your face up in frustration, crossing your arms to pout like a child. The mouse just cackled before grabbing at more food with her silverware. The two of you had a quiet meal for about 15 minutes before all of the food was gone.

“Ahhh! What a meal! I haven’t eaten that much in ages! Ah, hey, thanks, by the way. I don’t think I ever got tha chance to properly give ya my thanks.” She leaned back and rubbed her stomach.

>>604013
s'cool. Now let's get on down to exploring the basement

>>604013
Tell her she's welcome, then go explore the basement.
If you have any casual clothes you might want to change into those; it's going to be dirty down there.

You may want to call it a night. Let her sleep in your room, on the floor.

Get ready for another day of Suitor Adventures.

Grab your PDA and load up some apps that say "Shut Up" without actually saying that, like fart noises or loud coughing. Tell Mia that her first exam takes place tomorrow - keeping the more psychopathic women away from you.

>>604077
We're going to want to get a wireless CCTV system and an earpiece before we do more interviews. That way Mia can read people and inform us on them.
Later, we can get her setup with a laptop or something so she can research them.

>Really? I always just wiped my paws against a chair or a wall or somethin'
Again, the first rule of politeness is well, not to mess up other people's stuff! If you whipe food on the chair or a wall, someone else has to clean it, later.

>>604013
Pff. You two are already bickering and bantering like old friends.

>I don’t think I ever got tha chance to properly give ya my thanks.
You're more than welcome.

Orion 2014/12/06(Sat)11:58 No. 609459 ID: 0eaf76
File 141789591759.png - (47.77KB , 1100x900 , 19.png )

"It's no trouble, really. It would be even more of a hassle on my part to just kick you onto the streets."

"Ya coulda done it."

"It goes against my morals. Anyhow, let's take you down into the basement, see if we can't find any spare rooms."

"It's a stink hole down there."

"You're fine sleeping there right?"

"Oye, don't get me wrong, it's perfect for me...but are you gonna be up for going down there?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's hella dusty. Probs has a bug problem, kinda smells danky."

"I'll survive. Come, we have an elevator at the end of this hall you can use. It's out of sight and easy to use."

"You own an elevator? Wha?"

"Several. My Father is lazy. He prefers it."

"Wow! You guys really are fat cats."

You lead Mia outside of your room, checking to make sure no one was around. Carefully, you usher her to the end of your hallway, pressing the Down button beside the elevator. The panic about the alleged break-in seems to have died down quite a bit, which was a relief for you. The elevator opens up, allowing both of you to walk in. The door closes as soon as you bump the B button.

"It smells like fruit in here."

"They probably sprayed it with some sort of air freshener."

"Hmph."

The elevator creaks and groans its way to the bottom floor before revealing a dark hallway. The basement was dark...you could smell the dust from all the way in the scented elevator. You step off into a side hallway that branched off of the main area. You remember your parents used to host balls and parties down here, but nowadays they just use the main floor, so this floor got abandoned. Such wasted space... there were plenty of rooms available down here. Honestly, Mia could pick whichever one suited her the best. You really didn't feel like scrounging around to find the room to be specifically assigned to her, either...only because of how dirty it really was down here. Wallpaper was peeling, tiles were cracking, cobwebs covered almost every inch of the place...it was dark and dusty...and you really preferred to be elsewhere.

"I'll um, let you figure out where you want to sleep. If you ever need food then come up the elevator to my room. There's bathrooms that uh, hopefully work down here...otherwise use my bathroom. I'll leave my door unlocked so you can come and go as you wish, as long as you promise not to steal anything."

"Nah, I ain't that snitchy...and thanks a bundle! This is a lot better than what I was livin' in, ha!"

"I'll leave you to it, then."

You turn around and open up the elevator once more. Mia takes a tentative step forward before turning around, grinning. You nod at her and walk into the elevator. As the door closes in front of you, Mia dashes off down the hall, giggling as she did so. You really weren't worried about her making a mess down here, since it was already trashed. She could do as she pleased...it wasn't an issue to you. The basement already looked like a hellhole. You wipe off a few flecks of dust from your shirt as the elevator lifted you up and finally step off on your floor. Checking a clock hanging in the hallway, you realize it was well into the evening. Too early to sleep, but too late to really do anything substantial. The sisters were probably going to visit you tomorrow, too...probably should keep Mia away from them, if possible. Wouldn't that be comical? Cats, dogs and mice in the same room. You chuckle. Returning to your room and taking a seat on your bed, you let out a tired sigh. It seems someone has already escorted the dirty dishes from your room. Most likely Quivel. He has a strong perception of when and where he's needed, even when not called. That's why he was your butler. Reliable and observant.

Anyways, you had a few hours to kill. What should you do?

Movie marathon. Spielberg, Lucas, Cameron, Verhoeven, stuff like that. If Mia comes back up, she's welcome to join.

>It's hella dusty. Probs has a bug problem, kinda smells danky.
So until you legitimize her presence in some way, you might make someone suspicious if you start smelling or looking like you've been crawling around overmuch in the otherwise disused basement.

>probably should keep Mia away from them, if possible
Well, until she's practiced at the whole playing a bodyguard thing. She doesn't know how to act around upper class folk, blend in, make herself unobtrusive, yet. (She's smart though- she'll figure out how to play the game). She's probably scandalize them, and word about Mia would get back to your father too quickly.

>Anyways, you had a few hours to kill. What should you do?
Read, plan? Or maybe make sure things are smoothed over around the house, and that there are no lose ends your father might ask after, putting your butler in a situation where he can't lie.

Take a few moments to freak out at the gravity of the situation. Go back to your father and talk this out.

Why would your parents let a part of their house fall to such disrepair?

Watch a movie, or some lets plays online. Maybe some porn. Make some popcorn. Relax.

>>609473
>Panic and tell dad
How about no, we don't do that.

>>609489
Because they don't use it and it's too much trouble to clean an unused room in the house, no matter how much it costs, if they never use it. The Mahoganys probably bought the mansion without realizing there was a large basement.

...Or maybe that's where they keep all the skeletons and expired limited-edition holiday food packages. Uh-oh.

Okay, two things to ask your father (in addition to all the suitor stuff), ask these first:

1. You're planning on putting a game console or landscape model or some other project in the basement, can you pay someone to clean all the slime and mold?
2. Warn Mia not to eat any of the rotten food in the basement! You may want to develop a mechanism or system for bringing her food. Does the basement have a dumbwaiter?

Perhaps it would be wise if we get Mia to clean her room and her toilet as one of her first jobs. Quivel can get us the cleaning supplies for her and it would keep Mia on the down low for a while. Besides we do need Mia to look like she belongs in our entourage and dank and mouldy clothes are not part of that.

>>609459
>you had a few hours to kill. What should you do?
Something to unwind. You've been doing a lot, and dealing with the sisters again tomorrow will be stressful too.
Movies?

>The basement already looked like a hellhole.
There's not much you can do right now, but in the long run you should at least get the area Mia is using tidied up a bit.

>>609459
>You're planning on putting a game console or landscape model or some other project in the basement, can you pay someone to clean all the slime and mold?
If the room has slipped their mind, it's probably best we don't remind them about it.

>Warn Mia not to eat any of the rotten food in the basement!
I'm pretty confident Mia knows to avoid off food.

>>609698
I'm not sure what that would accomplish.

Lets learn a bit about your world, shall we? read a newspaper, or check a news station (preferably one without foxes as anchormen though).

>>609459
Go to the nearest electronics retailer and pick up a consumer-grade CCTV system and a set of ear-mount walkie-talkies. Set up the camera in whatever room your meeting will be in, and point it so it'll have a good view of the other person's face.
If your guests notice, tell them there was a security breach last night so you're on alert. If they press for details, then say nobody was injured and nothing was taken, but the intruder also wasn't caught.

Orion 2014/12/24(Wed)16:00 No. 615127 ID: 0eaf76
File 141946562262.png - (39.17KB , 1100x900 , 20.png )

>Learn about your world.

Perhaps checking up on the news would be a good idea. You grab the local newspaper, left on your dresser every day. Nothing much out of the ordinary. A few celebrity scandals, something about the president...oh!

"A Recent Increase in Home Break-Ins!"

So it's not just Mia, then. There are probably others who are contributing to this problem...Maybe hiring a bodyguard wasn't such a bad idea, if other burglars are going to get the same idea as her. It says here in the article that due to the struggling economy...burglary and petty crime has increased dramatically. How strange. You should probably inform Father, if he doesn't already know. Amping up the security would be a safe measure. In the meantime, you'll need to figure out how to tidy up Mia's living space as well. It won't need to be spotless, but it definitely can't stay like that...would Quivel be able to help? He's pretty good at cleaning...but to that extent? He is an older man, after all. There's no way he would be able to clean the entire basement. What if you got together an undercover maid squa-- you make yourself stomp that idea as soon as it popped up.

Maybe you'll just end up making Mia do it, instead.

>>615127
Mia can clean up the basement on her own.
If break-ins are on the rise then you're going to want Mia to give you a list of things she would need in order to secure the basement from intruders - openable window grates with locks, maybe?

Get the consumer CCTV/spycam system, and have Mia place one of the cameras in the basement where she can keep an eye out for anybody going down there. An infrared motion detector would probably help, too.

>>615127
You could probably consider like, bringing a vacuum cleaner down there or something. Assuming you have a fairly heavy duty one available. It's generally not a good idea to leave rooms in a house in that sort of state, since lack of maintenance can end up making the costs to fix the problems that were ignored more than the house is actually worth. And even if you rarely use the rooms, there's probably dust or mold in the air that ends up getting tracked up into the main area of the house, which is not good for your health.

>A Recent Increase in Home Break-Ins!
So then your cover story of hiring your own burglar to test your defenses should hold when you need to use it, then. You'll appear to be well aware of current events and being proactive.

At least make an effort to clean.
Show her that your not just talk.

>>615147
It's actually a very good cover story. If this is like front page news, then beefing up security is pretty much a no-brainer. Most of the biggest security improvements you can make are also pretty cheap.

See if the paper has anything about the Panty Rogue.

Oops, wrong quest.

But yeah, let dad know about the increase in break ins

>>615127
Give Mia a broom and dustpan. I'm sure she will understand you can't exactly send a maid down. She'll clean things up in the places she wants clean- it's not like sweeping is a hard job.

>>615782
Start the cleaning as a team. Do the heavy lifting together, then send in Quivel once you've made the room approachable.

>>615856
Seconded.

Be sure to take cleaning tools that the other servants won't notice missing.

Check if they say where these break-ins occur. Maybe someone is trying to devalue property in a certain neighbourhood.

>>615856
Make sure to take some of your more casual clothes down to do so.

>>616322
Yes, let's go down and clean Mia's place. And make sure you wear casual clothes, or we'll get horrible dirty stuff on our good clothes!

Let her settle in a bit. See what she does on her own, and make her own space. It's already much cleaner than the streets anyways, and we don't need to butt back in immediately after leaving.

Orion 2015/01/04(Sun)12:48 No. 617940 ID: 0eaf76
File 142040449798.png - (45.84KB , 1100x900 , 21.png )

Thinking on it now, you realize that this article would be a handy cover story for your Father. He would certainly appreciate the gesture, at least. He may be grumpy, but he's certainly not an ingrate. Where have these break-ins even been happening? You scan the printed lines for names of locations or any sort of mentioning of targeted spots...

"...the areas that have been hit the hardest have been wealthy neighborhoods and large estates..."

Well that's not surprising. What are you going to find in a shack in the middle of nowhere? This does concern you, though. Your Father probably already knows about this, so there's really no need to verbally warn him, hiring a few 'bodyguards' wouldn't be rude...

Speaking of Mia, perhaps you should go down there and clean up her space with her! It would be a kind gesture and she would certainly appreciate it. You're pretty sure she hasn't started cleaning it herself and this might even provide a good bonding opportunity for the both of you! You hop off of your bed and locate the nearest broom closet. Inside, you retrieve a cleaning cart, that the maids truck around to clean with. It's...heavier than you first anticipated, and well stocked! There's so many different cleaning products here...thank god they all have labels. Window cleaner, wood cleaner, tile cleaner, glass cleaner, there's practically a cleaner in here for everything in this household. A large roll of trash bags, gloves, a safety mask...you've never really looked at one of these carts up close before. It was somewhat exciting, if not a bit terrifying. You weren't the sissy type of person, but tackling the disaster zone downstairs was a bit intimidating.

Should you take the entire cart, or just bring a few supplies?

Take the cart. That basement looked like it'll need everything you can throw at it.

you have an abandoned basement a kick ass body guard and a limitless supply of money.....screw marriage, BE FUCKING BATMAN!......or should I say.......Cat Man! Seriously though, why not covert the basement into something cool

If you take the whole cart, is anyone going to notice that it's gone? Do you know when it would be in use?

If you know no one is going to miss it, you could take it, but otherwise, you may not want to interrupt routine with missing equipment.

You're too rich to worry about accidentally spilling an entire cart of cleaning supplies. If anyone asks, tell them you and some of your subordinates are going to clean the basement; want to join?

>>617945
I'm modifying my suggestion; take the cart if you think no one will notice, otherwise just take a few things they have spares of.

>>617967
This. But change out of your fancy clothes, first... Once again, you don't want to ruin the clothing you'll actually be wearing.

You have an elevator, use it

Take the whole cart, but tell some member of the staff that you're doing so and vaguely why, or leave a note or something. No sense stirring the panic up again.

Ask Mia how much she expects to get paid per month as a security specialist. She might joke around with the sorts of numbers she's seen listed as lottery jackpots, but her first serious offer will be likely be a pathetically small amount. Exceed that expectation.

Also, if you're going to have someone working for you personally, be smart about it. Get a lawyer (your dad probably has lots, and would be happy to point you at a particularly competent one for setting up your own business affairs) to draw up an employment contract, and explain what every clause means point-by-point to both you and Mia before anybody signs anything or any money changes hands.

Orion 2015/01/13(Tue)21:18 No. 620256 ID: 0eaf76
File 142121272086.png - (40.26KB , 1100x900 , 22.png )

Mmm...no one will really notice if the cart disappears for a few hours. You know the entire estate has plenty of carts just like this one. Taking the cart, you wheel it down towards the elevator, unbuttoning your jacket as you stand beside it. You really had no fear of getting the other clothes dirty, as long as they're comfortable. The folded jacket lay in front of the elevator, waiting to be picked up by some servant. You push the down button and wait patiently for the lift to arrive.

"Young master, what are you doing with that cart?"

Jumping up a bit at the sudden call, you turn to see one of the maids staring curiously at you. She had a confused expression on her face, and a worried stance. "I don't believe you should be carrying such a cart around...it's unbefitting."

"It's unbefitting of a maid to wear her hair down such as you."

She rubbed her neck, ashamed. "Y-Yes, Young master...but I am still curious as to why you wish to take one of the cleaning carts."

Quickly, you begin to panic. How shall you explain yourself? You're going down to the basement with a cleaning cart...it's a strange sight to see. If you aren't careful enough, the maids may report your bizarre activities to your father.

Just tell her you're cleaning the basement. If she asks why, tell her that you're building someplace to relax, what with your new schedule of "date gold digging women". Which is technically true as you seem more relaxed around your new bodyguard.

Also, ask if she'd be willing to do more tasks for you. Seeing as how she has become lax in her maid etiquette, perhaps working for you instead of your father would be less "harsh".

>>620256
Tell her you're feeling frustrated and want to accomplish something with your own two hands for once. The basement is the only place where if you screw up you can't make things worse.

"I simply feel like getting my hands dirty today. Put myself in the place of those working for my family, to get a better feel for the stresses you go through as a worker.
Or, in more simple terms, I just feel like it. So nyah."

if the worst case scenario happens where she insists she come down and help you, tell her to bring another cleaning cart and meet you in the basement. while she is busy with that, warn Mia someone is coming down and she needs to hide.

>>620256
"Oh, small art project. I'd like to experiment mixing some cleaning supplies with several painting techniques I've read about online. I'll need to entire cart to mess with. I'll keep inventory or the items I use."

You were collecting cleaning materials you needed for your greenhouse. You'd run out of something, and this was a convenient place to get them.

This makes sense because, obviously, you tend to your plants yourself. You don't have the staff cleaning up for you, there.

Don't mention the basement, because you don't want to draw attention to anything unusual going on there. Saying you're cleaning down there raises the obvious question why, and could lead to your being discovered too soon.

>>620265
That first half sounds good, but the second? I don't think stealing your father's employees is a good idea at all.

Your father did say you would dwindle with a low-grade wife due to not having a job for yourself, and setting up an area not only to relax, but a bit to conduct your own enterprising business (perhaps as a distraction to aide in the relaxation). What the business will be, you're not certain yet, but you'll need an area for it anyways.

Your dad was literally just bitching at you about how you're going to end up broke because he thinks you're too soft. Who is this maid? Is she from centuries ago? Why is it any of her business whether something you are doing is 'unbefitting'? Your dad thinks you're too useless to do anything, but when you try to do something your servants stop you? I saw that basement, if anything your entire staff is slacking off.

>>620256
"I wish to go down and clean the lower levels of our estate. They get really dirty and nobody was taking care of it! In addition, I really really want to learn how to clean things properly, and the lower levels provide a decent challenge. Don't take it the wrong way, but I'd prefer to go myself. I'd rather be self taught. Though I might ask for help if I really need it."

And if she's like "BUT YOU CAN LEARN FROM BOOKS" say

"Well, I've always been told you learn by doing. So I'm taking the initiative!"

Tell the maid that it is none of her business and if she wants to keep her job she should get back to work!

Tell her that you don't want to devalue the work that the cleaning staff puts in. Too many children of rich families become layabouts, and the best way to understand the tasks you have people perform on your behalf is to try them for yourself.