I Live to Serve - Chapter 1
Hi again! I know it's only been two days, and uploading won't probably stay this frequent, but I wanted to get this chapter out of the way, as it's likely going to be the most uneventful. Its whole purpose is to explain the setting, really, but there are a few important details here. Just bear with it! It will start to pick up in the next chapter, I promise!
Strips of light shone through the blinds which covered the single window in the whole of the bedroom. One had fallen across the little Eevee's lidded eyes, and was enough to wake her. She about jolted upright, eyes still clenched shut, until preceded with a yawn, after which she opened up. Where in the world was she now? Her puzzled eyes darted about, her head swiveling too to take in everything, and understand none of it. It was after a minute or two of simple examination that she realized how elevated she was. Peering over the edge of the bed, all she could think to say was "Woah."
'Woah' indeed. In her eyes, it was like looking out a second story window. But, the man was nowhere to be seen. How else would she get down? That's when it came to her. Firmly planting her hinds on the bed, she attempted to stretch her front end down the hanging comforter, bringing her forepaws as close to the ground as possible before she let go. Unfortunately for her, it wouldn't work as smoothly as she would hope. With a yip and a tumble, her ends gave way and she fell, landing on her back with an "Oof!"
It took a moment for her to recompose, eventually flipping back onto all fours. A good shake and she felt back in order. Now she could explore the room much more freely. And thus she did, padding (practically trotting) all about, peeking under, over and into every nook and cranny until she was well-acquainted with the entirety of the bedroom. The space beneath the dressers and bed was vacant, much to her dismay, but they would make good hiding spots for later.
Just in case.
But now what? As big as it was, there was nothing for her to do, necessarily. It wasn't like she wanted to go back to sleep. Plopping down onto her little Eevee rump, she pondered anything to do to occupy herself, when suddenly, the door swung open. The man from yesterday was standing in the doorway, looking right down at her.
"Good morning, Nanani." came his tender voice, his facial expression equally as comforting.
She couldn't deny how pleasant it was to see him. For a few minutes there, she wondered if he had simply disappeared, and she was to be stuck in this room forever. A preposterous thought to anyone but a little pup like her. Her tail wagged quite furiously and with a bark, she ran for his ankles.
Anything to show her affection towards. But, he caught her in her tracks, scooping her up into his arms, and after a few well-placed scratches on the back of her head, led her from the room.
"I think I ought to give you a tour of your new home." he said, barely able to contain his smile whenever he gazed at the joyful little Eevee.
With such mannerisms, he seemed to be treating her as his own child. And she was obliviously in love with every second of it. Around the house they went, quickly passing through every room, as he relayed a brief rundown of their purpose. He knew she wouldn't catch on immediately, but with repetition, she would surely have the layout down in no time.
The house... well, it's large, to say the very least. Two stories and a basement floor, all a total of over twelve thousand square feet. The upper floor consisted mostly of a single, open entertainment area with vaulted ceilings, and even a skylight in the center of it all. The whole of the room included multiple ping pong, foosball and air hockey tables, plus a seventy two inch television mounted on the western wall. It alone had all manner of contraptions connected to it, and was surrounded by a huge sectional for any occasion. The only other rooms of note were a small closet at the south end just beside where the stairs led down to the main floor, housing all the equipment for the many contraptions in the room, and a half-bath at the north end. On the eastern side ran a balcony all walled off by an oak railing, overlooking the living room that resided next to the dining area on the main floor.
From the top floor, the stairs led down to where the entryway resided. A massive twelve foot stained glass door, with a large similarly textured glass transom hanging above it. From the threshold, and across the tile we're met with the living room. A decently sized chandelier hung down from the skylight, suspended about twenty feet above the ground still. The living room itself featured plush carpets, a large stone fireplace that rose up the entire north wall to give the illusion that it led to some sort of chimney. A pair of two-cushioned leather couches sat in an "L" shape about the fire, a makeshift potted plant between them. The kitchen was accessed through an arched passage on the eastern end of the room, though the countertops acted as the adjacent wall, providing a clear view between the kitchen and living area. All sorts of mounted appliances lined the walls in the kitchen. Plenty more than one human could ever need. And from the kitchen, to the north sat the exclusive dining hall, the centerpiece being a massive sixteen-chair table with plates and silverware already set for whatever occasion may crop up next, and a huge cornucopia as a centerpiece. Around the table resided a clear cupboard filled with fine china at every corner, and a multitude of mirrors around it provided a beautiful view of the back lawn, plus a single door that led out this way as well.
Onto the hallway, the four doors aside from Nanani's led to his own bedroom (directly across from her's), a master bathroom, a completely barren walk-in closet, and the entrance to the basement. At the other end of the hall, where it veered off there was another, much smaller entertainment area with an additional television and a single sectional. But the main attraction was an ebony piano that stole half the entirety of the room's space. He even stopped at this point in the tour to play her his own rendition of "Row, row, row your boat" to which she happily bark along, out of key and out of time. From this room came another route to the back yard, a nine half-lite door being the way through.
From here, all that remained is the basement. "All" being nearly half of the house. Here there resided three massive rooms, and two other smaller rooms. After a long descent down the stairs, it became apparent why such a ways down was necessary. The whole basement at first seemed to be a single, long hallway with two doors on either side, and one at the far end. The first door on the left opened into a gymnasium, complete with a basketball hoop on either side, a retractable tennis net, and various lines for various other potential games. The door opposite led to a forty-eight seated theater. Projection, screen and all, and even a popcorn machine in the very back. The second door on the left led to a much smaller room than the other two, though it too was completely empty, aside from a foldable table propped upright against the west wall. The second room on the right was very peculiar. A camera mounted on a tripod sat squarely in the center, pointing at a large, flowery backdrop, while a few stage lights hung from the ceiling. In the southwest corner there was a built-in sound/recording booth.
And the last room at the very end of the hall remained locked. For whatever reason, she wasn't to see in there. But, my goodness was it a lot to take in. And all this owned by one man. She couldn't comprehend it all, but she spent most of the tour with eyes open and jaw dropped in awe.
Once back upstairs, the two of them settled in the living room. She was set in center of the room, and he sat opposite her, cross-legged.
"Nanani." was all he said at first, almost a little sternly.
Her curious eyes turned their attention away from every which way, and onto him.
"I am going to tell you a few things, so nod if you understand them, okay?" his gaze was focused squarely on her, holding as serious a face as he could muster.
Her response to this statement was the first of many nods. Such a smart little pup.
"Good." the man affirmed. "First thing's first, I am 'Master'. Your Master. That's the only name you will know me as, okay?"
Not knowing any better, she agreed.
"Second, we will work together. As you get older, I'll need you to help me out, and I will do the same for you, okay?"
She acknowledged again, beaming all the while.
"Thirdly, you are not to leave this house unless I give you permission, or accompany you. Ever."
Yep yep.
"And lastly..." there was a tinge of hesitance in giving this last declaration. "I want you to be happy, but you are also to listen to what I say. Always. ...okay?" He finished with a gentle pat on her head, after which she gave that final nod.
"Perfect." his face seemed almost somber, staring back at her, but it soon shifted into something more lighthearted, and even exciting. "Come here... I've got something for you."
With that, he scooped her up once more, carrying her back to her bedroom. Setting her back on the bed, he held up a finger to say "Wait just a moment", and hurried off.
Big eyes watched the empty doorway with patience, anticipating Master's return. Whatever that meant. Of course, none of it made sense to her, but again, with repetition he would ensure she grasped all these concepts, and in time, even more.
And speaking of, he had returned now, clutching a tiny stuffed Tediursa (though it couldn't have been any smaller than her). After setting it next to Nanani, she sprang into action! Tackling, wrestling and chewing on it like there was no tomorrow. It certainly did the job in occupying her, and he took this opportunity to sneak out once more, this time in pursuit of some power tools. This issue with the door trapping her in needed to be remedied as soon as possible.