♤SPRING SHIELD (MxM) ~fantasy~♤

Role call

Kristian

"Try not to let everyone see your... quirks,or flavours. Try to be professional."Elijah says to me as we walk away from his main office into his laboratory. Yeah,he has one of those,it's all monotone. He has a work station and all these weird machines that I don't know how to work yet.
"Flavours? Oh,what I am? Actually no,what are you?"I'm over compensating. Trying to make him smile at every turn but he won't budge. Even when we were walking on awkward thin ice,his smiles were few and far.
"It's too early for this,Kristian."he pushes the door in front of him open and doesn't hold it for me which makes it fall right into my face,
"Vanilla? Chocolate? No,no,it's strawberry lychee."
"Kristian,I am warning you. If one of them hear you I will fire you without-"
"Ahem. Excuse me,"A young man who appears to be in his late twenties says awkwardly.
"Sam,you're early. Please don't mind that."Elijah says to him,
"I'm Kristian,the boss' assistant-"
"I know,you're kind of all over the Internet right now."instead of shaking my hand he shows me a video of Elijah dipping me at the ball last night. Stiffly,I laugh and he doesn't have any emotion other than blinking I suppose.
"It's a pleasure to work with you,Sam? Was it?"
"I'm on the artificial intelligence team,"
"That's cool,I'm on the interior design team,I think? Making sure it's you know,fitted into the home,"I explain as we shake hands,
"I'm excited to see if you're actually good at your job."he deadpans and I feel angry,but I bury it. I nod,before going to look for Elijah again. Looks like my days will consist of huddling next to him because no one dares to say anything to his face,
"Okay,I can I have a minute of your time?"Elijah says,flipping through the list of names on the team,"I'm going to do a simple head count,if that's alright. Sam Phillips?"
"Here."
"Okay,Bethany Wilders?"he says looking over the gathered crowd and finding her waving at him,
"Veronica Tutbury?"
"Present!"
"Alright,Mr Luo?"Another wave. And we go like that until we get to five people,"... okay,Kristian White."
Surprised I take a second to wave."here."I whisper,
"Alright,ladies and gentlemen,you already know what this project is about. You'll act as my consultants and confidents over the next seven or so months. Of course I'm the head of this development team. I hope everyone is okay with that,and I'll do my best to serve you all well as a leader."he takes a Lyrian bow and everyone claps for him. He continues.
"Obviously,there are ground rules. You don't have to be here everyday but just make sure to show up when you're needed. I don't condone gossiping or entertaining rumours,if you find a hobby in it,I won't waste a second get rid of you in the same time it took you to open your mouth-"everyone laughs at this and he looks up from his clipboard. His expression cold and serious.
"Ths smart ones know I'm not joking."everyone is silent after this statement,"That's all for now,thank you for your time. Also,if in any case I'm handling an emergency,Kristian is second in charge and it would be great to give him respect."
Was he not going to consult me about that? Lyria,give me patience.
"That's it."he says walking off as the round of applause continues,he shakes everyone's hand until Bethany wraps her arms around his neck in an embrace. It's stiff because he doesn't return it,he makes an annoyed sound as he peels her off of him.
I stifle my laugh as he walks away without saying anything else to her. "Ugh,he's so... stoic,right?"Beth says as she walks up to me,biting her lip as she watches him walk Sam through the prototype functions. He's wearing a black t-shirt that really flatters him and shows off his muscles that really can't be hidden,
"Yep,stoic is the word."I can understand why people spend their entire lives training to get married into an avatar family. Or why miss Wilder has spent the past decade chasing after him.
"About the metal,I told you about last night-"
"Of course,I'll send you the samples of wires and the black obsidian metal."I confirm,walking off to the room where I can get coffee,
"Thank you so much,Kristy. I can call you that right? I just didn't want to disturb Elijah."
"It's no problem,Bethany. You'll have them by this afternoon,"I say leaving with two cups of coffee
"Here,"I say handing one cup to Lewis. Too focused on his computer he takes a sip without looking at me then makes a disgusted gagging sound after,"Again?"I roll my eyes,crossing my arms over my chest. As he continues to cough I take the liberty of drinking some,"Oops,that's mine. Here this one's yours,less sugar,normal milk and no decorations,just like your black heart."
"Keep talking like that and I'll strip you of your titles,"
"Not like I care,how is it?"
"Better than the last few."

____________________

I ring the door bell to the Wilders mansion with the box of samples. She told me it would be best to get everything at once because she wants to see what she'll be working with on software developments.
I don't know if telling Lewis would upset him? I told me it would be best if we kept it a secret,
"You made it! Please,come in."she says,excited once she opens the door. Since I've become Elijah's assistant,I've been invited into many mansions and near palaces honestly. I think I'm getting used to it,"I was throwing a tea party with my friends,would you like to join us?"
"Oh,I'm just here to drop off the package and leave,Lewis and I had-"
"Plans? He'll probably go on without you,it's no problem. Just have a cup of tea before you go."she drags me from the living space into the garden where a 'small' tea party is being held. Its a full on celebration with all those huge towers of pastries and cakes,with more than two teapots just sitting at the table.
"Was there an occasion?"I ask,pulling the box of samples I've brought her. It's just to see them,not to keep. I'll take them back. Because these few pieces of metal are the best quality that Lewis could get his royal hands on.
A couple of wires weighing a few grams costs a few thousand dollars.
"Just something small,everyone,this is Kristian White,Elijah's famous interior designer,his second in command."she smiles at me,guiding me to seat,
"It's nice to finally meet you,you're as beautiful as they say."one of Bethany's friends adds,
"Thank you,"I say,nervous because everyone seems to be staring at me. And I keep getting a weird feeling,"Uhh,Bethany,let me show you the samples."I say as she pours me a cup of hot tea,
"Oh,yeah,sure. Did you know that this is one of Elijah's favourite teas since high-school,he literally never changes,"as if on que everyone starts laughing. I guess I'm the only unfamiliar person with his tea habits. Opening the box with the code that it needs I go through the multiple security measures,
The box opens with the mechanical movement of uncovering it's own lid and lighting up around the edges with the sky blue. The signature colour of the home security system.
What seems like smoke but is really just the chemicals that keeps anything from happening to the metal inside the box,pours out. "Here's the two millimetre wire,the three millimetre and a five millimetre. And of course the metal itself here-"I point to each and take a sip of my tea as I wait. Barely,its boiling hot,
"It's real,core metal?"Bethany asks as she picks up one of the wires that have been straightened out,
"Yes,it's real core. Lewis made sure of it."I explain,and when she looks up she accidentally drops the wire out the ground. My heart drops. If there's even a slight scratch on his show piece he's going to kill me.
"I'm so sorry-"
"It's no problem,"I say reaching to the ground to get it but one of her friends kicks it further away. By accident of course,
"So sorry,I was just trying to help-"they cry,
"No problem."I say again,now on my hands and knees ready to pick it up finally,I get my hands on it but when my fingers curls around the tiny wire,pain shoots up my wrist as its crushed down- by Bethany's heel.
I gasp as I struggle to get my hand out from under her shoe,but each time I move the more she crushes down. The small stones on the gravel of her garden path helping her damage my skin. Pain is sparking up my hand as it starts going numb,
When no one reacts as I'm there on the ground. Only then do I realise what I've gotten myself into. Elijah's words start to ring in my ears,'One day you'll understand what I tried to warn you about'
Her foot finally lifts and the pain seems to get worse when she does. I stifle a scream as I back away trying to blow the gravel that's dug into my flesh away.
"Why would you-"I scream again when wet heat flies onto my other hand which was still on the ground. The tea.
"Oh I'm sorry,I thought maybe that would take the pain away but looks like I got the wrong hand."one of her friends says as I'm on the floor with two injured hands.
"This wasn't about the samples was it,Bethany?"I glare at her as I struggle to get to my feet. She laughs,an evil laugh,full of resentment and disdain.
"You're really gullible,did you know that?"she says,taking a sip of her own tea,"Makes you wonder if you really did try to seduce Elijah,and whether or not he fell for it."
"I was a given to him by my mother company,I had no choice but to accept him as he did me,"I explain,my hands throbbing,but I try not to let it show. Hurriedly,I put away all the pieces and close the box with a click,
"Huh,sure. No one has ever heard of you before and one day you come in and are talking to every unmarried rich man in the industry,you know what that makes you look like-"
"I don't care!"I yell and she spins me around by my injured hand making me wince,
"A whore! You look like social climbing expert who's trying to get a husband to run dry. I don't care who you want to sleep with,or marry,or scam. But Elijah? Stay away from him,because sooner or later someone's going to have to show you your place. Consider this warning a favour,Kristy."she says in a making tone,and everyone giggles.
"Listen,Bethany. I don't care what weird relationship you claim to have with my boss but he's just an employer to me so save yourself the trouble. I should've known not to trust some desperate delusion woman."I start to walk out and her screams fade off into the distance as tears start to run down my face,