Staff 101

After a month, my life in the forest, which, to my knowledge, was some rich guy's backyard, has changed for the better. Compared to pretending rocks are pillows, working in a manor for Mr. Feymour is a much more desirable alternative to the former. After signing the contract, I was now onto the briefing portion of my staff duties as Kristina walked me through the daily motions of a staff member in this manner. "So first things first, we have to go about the things we as staff members need to do to keep this manor running!" Kristina would tell me with an invigorated expression. It seemed like she'd always wanted to have a junior teach the ways of the staff. "Alright! So what's first on the list?" I ask, which she gladly tells me while we head over to where it is."Our first chore of the day is cleaning. The manor is a big place, so everyone is expected to help each other clean the place from dust, dirt, and other things," she'd say as we both arrive at a broom closet filled with cleaning supplies. "oh jeez, that's a lot," I say as i see all of the different utilities inside. "Pick your favorite one and we'll get to cleaning!" she enthusiastically tells me as she goes and takes her cleaning supplies, which were a bucket, a sponge, and a towel. I would then go to look for mine as my eyes scanned each one. I'm a simple man with a simple mind, so I naturally gravitated towards the simplest things. that being the broom. "so you're a broom man, eh?" she comments as i grab the broom. "What can I say? I'm pretty good at sweeping things under the rug, metaphorically, of course. I don't mean to literally sweep stuff under the rug." I would joke before immediately clarifying my intentions. Luckily, Kristina found it funny, so I still stuck with the landing. Good job, me!With that settled, we were off to clean the manor. Kristina went ahead and cleaned the windows of the halls while i rolled up my sleeves and swept every inch of the floor. for impressions, i was going to have to give it my all. no dirt or dust can escape my sweeping. Luckily, it wasn't just us cleaning; otherwise, it would've taken the whole day to even clean a portion of this manor. there were other staff members with their own cleaning supplies, doing their own share of cleaning. we were able to finish up in an hour or two. now it was onto the next chore on the chores list after i met back up with Kristina. "So, how was the cleaning on your end?" she'd ask with a simple smile while I looked like I had had the battle of a lifetime. "pretty good. i really showed those dust bunnies what for," i say with a smug expression. i might've gone a little overboard with the sweeping. "I'm surprised you aren't exhausted at all," I point out as I notice her lack of fatigue. With how many windows this place had, I'd assume she'd be out of breath or something."I kind of built up stamina for this kind of work, so it doesn't take too much out of me," she'd said quite casually. it makes sense now that i think about it. natural progression, nifty little concept. "Anyway, now that we're done with the cleaning, we can go ahead and pick up some ingredients so the chefs can go ahead and serve lunch for the Master's family," she'd explain as we both go and do just that. and what better place to get ingredients than the good 'ol town market. to get there, we had to ride ourselves on a horse carriage that the manor had graciously provided for errands like this. the main family had a much more fancier one so the staff one was just your industry standard. it didn't take too long for us to get to the main town, as we eventually arrived at the main gate. "woah," i mutter as i look around me and see all the different people and buildings in the town."Is this your first time in the town, Reuben?" Kristina would ask as she caught me admiring the change in scenery. "Maybe? I'm too sure with the whole memory loss thing, but other than that, it was only a month ago when I literally had no one to talk to but myself in those woods in the backyard," I tell her while I scratch the back of my neck. it was nice to finally see faces that weren't just drawn by me on a rock. speaking of, i really need to go find L.R. soon... "we're here you two," the carriage driver would inform us as we saw ourselves parked right in the middle of a big opening in the town, surrounded by many stands of different varieties. Some sold jewelry, wares, and other such utilities or accessories, while the ones we needed sold different types of vegetables, meat, and fruit. we'd get off of the carriage and make our purchases."I'll have ten of these, please," Kristina would say to a vendor as she purchased some apples. considering her senior role, she was taking the helm of this operation for the time being while i stood behind her, taking valuable notes. we'd eventually go from stall to stall, buying whatever the Manor needed for today as we filled up the basket up to the brim. "Hey Kristina, let me hold the basket for you. it looks like it's getting heavy," I say, wanting to be polite but also wanting to have something helpful to do while she spearheads this part. "oh no, it's fine, Reuben. i can carry it," she'd reject politely. but as a self-proclaimed gentleman, i wasn't going to let her carry it in good conscience. "no, no. i insist. let me," i insisted, which she'd hesitantly comply to as she handed me the basket. and as soon as the basket was transferred onto my hands, the weight instantly made itself known to me as it brought my hand down for a quick moment when it landed on my hand. Luckily, i had enough strength in my arms—plural—to keep it up."Uhm, are you okay? It kind of looks like you're struggling," she'd say as she watched me struggle. "No, no, no, I got it. I totally got it!" I lie to save face. i wasn't just going to go back on my word after insisting as much. i was in too deep; i needed to commit or die trying! and so i forced myself to carry basket after basket until we finally had enough ingredients to go back home with. once we got back to the carriage, i placed all of the baskets on the back of the carriage and felt the multiple pounds of weight disappear from my body all at once. it was truly... an enlightening experience. "looks like you had quite the workout there, bud. Are you sure you didn't push yourself too hard in front of the missus?" the carriage driver would tease as he saw the state i was currently in. "hush," i say with stern stare, which to him was amusing as he chuckled it off. "I'm sure Reuben just wanted to make good on his first impressions, kind of like how I was back when I was still new." Kristina was there to defend as she climbed on board."How could I forget? Back then, you were a shy little lassie, but look at you now, teaching this old buck the ropes. How time flies, doesn't it?" the carriage driver would recall. he definitely looked like he was talking from experience. "Yeah, how time flies," Kristina would reiterate but with a nervous stutter. I guess her shyness is a bit of an embarrassing topic for her. not that i would mind personally. but with that said, the day was wasting away so we proceeded to make our way back to the manor. but right before we left, i looked at the town as we drove away. there was something familiar to it, even though i don't remember seeing it before. but i chose to think about it later. for now, i still had work to do. We arrive back at the manor as I unload the baskets with Kristina."Thanks for the haul, you two. We were needing a bit of restock on our end," the chef of the manor would say as he thanked us for our efforts after bringing them the goods. "It's no problem, Leonel. It's just part of the routine." Kristina would show her respect in a bow. "Showing the new rookie around? Look at you, all grown up!" Leonel the chef would tease a little as he went and ruffled up her hair a bit, which embarrassed her a little as her cheeks get a bit rosy. "Yeah." She'd respond a little meekly. Leonel would cease his teasing and make his way back to his work as he bids us farewell. "Well, now that we're done with that, let's move onto the next chore," she'd say as she led me there. While we walked, I decided to fill the silence with small talk as I brought up something to her. "Everyone cares about you a lot, don't they?" I said, which caught her attention. "And I'm really glad that they do. It wasn't really long ago when I was in your position in things," she'd recall as she remembered her time as everyone else's junior. "I always tried to be helpful to everybody. Before all this, I was just your average commoner." She then starts revealing as she starts reminiscing even more about her past."My family didn't have all that much, so day to day would often prove to be challenging," she'd say solemnly as her thoughts brought her back to the days where she and her family would ration food to last the week. They would huddle around the fireplace whenever they were lucky enough to get some firewood. It was harsh, but she never let it break her spirit since she was a hopeful child. And hope she did, as she retold her first ever meeting with Edward Feymour. "Master Edward was in town when I was on an errand to get some firewood at the market. I accidentally bumped into him and spilled all of it onto the floor." She would meekly chuckle, as that memory of hers was still just as embarrassing to her now. "I was so scared that he'd yell at me that I almost started crying on the spot." She would then reveal as her embarrassment showed further, with her cheeks flushing again."Luckily for me, Master Edward was kind to me that day. He told me that day that if I turned old enough, I could come to him for proper work and provide for my family, and I'm sure you know how I ended up," she'd express, as her gratitude for Edward was clearly showing as she recalled the moment she had turned a proper age. She went over to his manor and requested that he honor his promise, which he did by the looks of it. "At first, i was worried i wouldn't be able to help with things around the manor but my seniors being as kind as they are really helped me adjust," she'd say with a grateful smile. "That's quite the backstory. I wish I remembered mine," I would express, as I didn't really have much to share with her in terms of origins and whatnot. definitely not with this memory-loss situation I'm in. "That's alright, Reuben. I'm sure you'll get your memories back soon," she'd tell me in earnest, which really tugged something in me."Wow, you are hopeful... but thank you. I'll make sure to make it happen." I would respond earnestly as well. "oh yeah, what's the chore we have to do now?" i ask since we had been walking for a bit while having that talk earlier. "oh, we'll be feeding the wolf," she'd say with a smile while keeping my expression for a moment or two before realizing what that entailed. "Wait, the wolf!? the several-meter-high wolf in the backyard!? We're feeding that!?" I exclaimed in surprise. As for one, the wolf was big! like 'Big' big, what amount of food could fill that beast's belly? and secondly, I was still worried if the wolf would still have a grudge since I had essentially just fought with it like earlier. "Yeah, don't worry, he doesn't bite people from the manor, so you'll be fine," Kristina would say, which didn't really ease any tension from my body because, before all of this, I wasn't a guy from the manor. "Do you not want to? It's fine if you're scared. I won't force you." She was kind enough to let me know, but my fear of getting mauled by a giant beast of the woods wasn't going to top my urge to make an impression, so I steeled myself and responded to her with determination. "No, let's go feed that wolf!" I say with a clenched fist......"uhm, are you sure you want to do this, Reuben?" Kristina couldn't help but ask me as we made our way to the so-called backyard. "I'm positive! Why?" I say confidently, but she wasn't really buying it, as from an outside view, you would see me cowering behind her while she took the lead with a plate of food in hand. "it just kind of seems like you're not really up to it," she'd say, pointing out my very obvious reluctance to do this chore. I would naturally defend any honor that I had left in me, much to her amusement. we eventually arrive at the back yard and to our surprise, the Wolf was already out in the open at the edge of the forest, waiting along with someone else. that someone else, being the eldest daughter of Edward, was playfully petting the wolf like you would a puppy. "Ms. Carol, we didn't expect to see you here outside." Kristina was first to talk as she addressed them. "Kristina! Nice to see you! I was just checking up on him to see if he's in good health, which he is, aren't you, boy?" Carol would explain as she petted the wolf, who was lying flat on the ground so that she could pet it's snout. "and i see you're accompanied by the new addition to the staff." she would then point me out as she saw me cowering behind Kristina still."Hello, newbie here. Nice to meet you, Ms. Carol." i tried my best to greet her as i cowered. "are you scared of the wolf?" she'd ask since it was what it looked like to her. "Not really, ma'am. Me and the wolf kind of had a bit of a kerfuffle in the woods earlier this morning, and I fed it sleeping berries, so I'm worried if it might hold a grudge." I would state my reasons, which made her chuckle a little. after that, she would then make her way over to me and gently grab me by my wrist. "Nonsense. He's nothing but a little baby! Come' ill show you," she'd say as she led me closer and closer to it. "Are you sure about this? i don't think its a good idea!" I wasn't really hesitant about this. There was no telling what the very big wolf would do aside from what I saw it almost do to me. "Sure, I'm sure! Now just go ahead and pet it. Don't be shy now!" she'd urge me as she stepped away, leaving me and the wolf to stare at each other.I gulped in nervousness as I saw the wolf's open eyes stare into mine. "Hey man, I know we've gotten off on the wrong foot earlier, but I hope we can start this off right. No hard feelings?" I would say as an introduction while trying to get closer with my hand towards its snout. As I inched closer, it would growl a little bit, which made me recoil a little. But I was going to see this guy more since feeding him was part of my chore list, so I swallowed up any hesitance and just went to pet him finally. It would keep growling at me until my hand landed on its snout. After that, it would stop growling and let me go ahead and pet it. "Huh, I never noticed before, but your fur is really soft," I mutter as I keep petting it. "See, I told you he's just a little baby," Carol would say as she walked back to my side and looked over at me, petting the wolf. Suddenly, the wolf would start growling. but this wasn't from it being aggressive since the growling was coming straight from its stomach."And, I guess, a little hungry too," she'd add, chuckling at the suddenness. "Right, we were supposed to feed him. How are we going to feed him?" I'd ask. looking over to Kristina, who was by no means a rookie at this ordeal, as she confidently walks up and places the plate of food down in front of the wolf. "I got it right here!" she'd say, as if that were already enough to feed the gigantic wolf in front of us. "You're kidding, right? This cannot be enough for the big guy," I would point out since the plate was human-sized and the wolf is anything but that. "Of course not. We still have to enlarge it," she'd reveal, as out of her pocket she pulled a green stone with an arrow pointing up a groove carved into the face of it. She'd point the stone at the plate and speak. "Enlarge!" she uttered as the stone glowed and shot a beam of green light onto the plate, which made it start to glow green too."What's happening?" I ask, confused. We all took a few steps back and saw that the food on the plate would increase in size. getting bigger and bigger until it was big enough that the wolf could get a proper full meal out of it. "That's awesome!... that stone did that?" I would comment. My eyes were not deceiving me, at least to my knowledge, but I had just witnessed actual magic being performed so effortlessly. To be fair, demons exist, so magic would too, but it was very surprising to see it happen so up close and for such a mundane task. well as mundane as feeding a big beast of a wolf, that is. "This is a spell stone. There are lots of these being sold in magic shops. They're specifically made for people like us who can't really use magic. Pretty neat, right?" Kristina would tell me, which only piqued my interest further. the mere fact that I, a man full of intrusive ideas, have access to such magical powers? That's either the recipe for a good time or a house fire."That's so cool! I want to use one of those!" I'd say, all giddy. It was feeling similar to a child seeing a cool toy dangled in front of it. It was truly a tempting item. "Well, you can use one next time when we feed the wolf again," she'd say as she pocketed the stone. "Man, he's devouring that up quick," I'd say as all three of us watched the wolf destroy its meal in a matter of seconds. There is no doubt that the wolf was hungry. Once it had finished the food, it would take a second to get its bearings straight after straightening up and gobbling the dish for all its worth by shaking itself. As it did so, however, something flew off of its fur and landed straight in front of us, which startled us a little. "What was that?" Carol would say as we would all slowly gather around it to see what it was. "It's... a rock with a face on it?" Kristina said, confused, but I knew as my expression turned into joy. "L.R.!" I exclaimed as I picked the rock from the ground and started hugging it."L.R.?" The other two would look at me with a questioning look as to them; I was just passionately hugging a rock that had fled out of the wolf. "Oh, right. This is a friend I made when I was living in that forest for a month," I say to them all casually, like it was a normal thing people do, which is not the case. "Wait, you lived in our backyard for a month?" Carol would say offhandedly since this was news to her still. "I'd tell you the details, but my memory loss makes it hard to tell you how I ended up here in the first place," I would say, embarrassed since I really wanted to be able to at least explain to her that I'm not just some weirdo who hangs out in forests for a living. "Oh, well, I hope you'll find your memories," she said with a polite smile, which I naturally reciprocated. After this, we all headed inside to finally wrap up the day. The staff got together for dinner for the night and went off to our living quarters for the night."Thanks for guiding me through today, Kristina. I really appreciate your kindness," I would say as she guided me one last time towards my room. "It's no problem, Reuben. If you ever need any help, please feel free to ask me. I'll be glad to," she'd tell me with a smile as we stopped in front of the door. We would then exchange our obligatory goodnights with each other, and we both finally slept. her to the room and me to mine as I look around the room with a satisfied sigh. "Well, L.R., we definitely achieved what we set out to do today. Granted, where we ended up is literally just in front of the forest, but it still counts!" I would ramble as I set L.R. on a desk before laying on my bed. "All in all, today wasn't so bad. I could get used to this," I say, glancing one last time at L.R. "Goodnight, buddy," I'd say as the last thing before I shut my eyes and finally went off to sleep.And this was the first sleep I've had in a while where I didn't think about all the questions I have ever had since waking up for the very first time. It was nice.