webnovel

Chapter 1

"Dolly! If I see you there again - you're going to be stuck in cage! Dolly! Not repeating that again! Get claws off of there! Dolly, goddammit!" - Old slipper flies in the direction of a big bird, smacking it off the shelf, as it flies off, leaving the slipper at the other end of the room.

Glasses glisten in the candle light. Chemicals heat up inside test tube, held above the fire. Her frizz head of hair is like a fluffy curly nest.

"Lilly-y! Have you seen my coffee mug? The blue one?" - Trish walks in, her perfect ponytail swaying, shirt and pencil skirt are office ready. - "Lilly-y!"

No reply. Glasses still reflect candle light, but there is a smile on a face, as chemical changes colour.

"Alas! New moss will be born!" - Lilly pours new brewed concoction onto petri dish. - "Oh my baby, we'll have so much fun!" - She begins mumbling.

Hand touches Lillys back, making her jump in surprise.

"Goddammit! Warlocks!" - She turns around to face intruder of personal space, - "Oh, just Trish." - Lilly takes a breath.

"Just Trish?" - The intruder pauses as she gasps at her friend, - "Lilly, I called you so many times." - She shakes her head, - "I asked if you have seen my blue coffee mug."

"The one that is always misplaced by you and used eventually by Edgar? Most likely with Edgar." - Lilly turned back to face her experimentation.

Trish turns around and walks towards kitchen.

"Edgar, dammit!" - She notices a man on a couch, eyes down on his tablet reading latest news.

"Wasn't me." - He replies in calm manner.

"Always fast on replies, huh?" - Trish walks over to the kitchen counter. Checks one of the shelves with a dozen of different cups and mugs.

"Have we got a new addition to the selection?" - Trish looks at two new cups. By the look of it - chinese porcelain.

"Lilly brought few from her trip. She came back around four in the morning. Unpacked and stocked some new bits in kitchen. Then off to her corner of plants and chemicals. As far as I got it - she brought along the ingredient she searched for." - Edgar was still having his eyes glued to the tablet.

"Talk about professional addictions." - Trish poured herself coffee, then sat on a stool next to bar island.

Dolly flew around and landed on a couch back, next to Edgar.

Without looking at the bird, Edgar petted Dollys head.

"Really busy, as I see." - Trish checked her phone.

"Today there is few presentations of new project, then dinner with CEO of OnTech. So I guess it does get busy. Yourself?" - Edgar closed news, putting his tablet on coffee table.

"Few hearings of cases in court, much paperwork and the typical adventures. The usual I guess." - Trish shrugged.

Yawning and barely moving man walked in. Going directly towards coffee machine and pouring himself a full cup. Then he added a bit of soy milk and sugar. Mixed well, threw spoon in sink, took cup and walked off again.

"Guess he is on a break in between writing." - Edgar smiled.

"Grey surely is a hermit." - Trish finished her coffee, washed up and put all to dry. - "I'm off! Wish me luck!"

"Good luck." - Edgar replied.

Alarm goes off on Lillys phone. She checks the message on the screen, then goes to the kitchen. In a small side cupboard she pulls out a container with cat food, takes out dish and puts food on it. Then walks back to her lab corner and puts dish on a special mat on the floor.

"Ceasar, dear, your food is served!" - She calls out.

Grey bengal cat stretches out on the cat bed near the shelf unit with endless plants. He lazily gets up and walks to the dish. After few sniffs he eats up.

The glass door of the upper floor extension opens. Heavy footsteps down the metallic finish stairs.

Messy bed hair, branded clothing, tall, extravagant and more importantly - hungover.

"Hey there, pretty!" - Mary sarcastically remarks.

A man looks at her, smiles and goes straight to sit on a stool of the bar island.

"Mary, my chestnut hair goddess of beauty, could you have mercy on my soul and help this vagabond by blessing me with your made cup of tea? Pretty please?" - Noah leans on the table top, smiling at Mary.

"Sweet talking me, huh? Ehh..." - She stands up and goes to make tea. - "You owe me."

The shuffling and chat is heard from the glass room extension. Mary gazes at Noah, her eyebrow raised.

"Are you serious? Again?" - Mary puts cup with tea next to Noah. He takes the cup in hands, breaths the aroma and takes a sip. - "Noah?" - Mary pokes his forehead.

"M-m, yeah?" - Noah looks up at her.

"Can you stop bringing people in like that?" - Mary takes dessert fork, cutting off piece of cake.

"I'll try. But my charm does the magic." - Noah drinks up tea, savouring the liquid.

"Yeah, magic. Make up something better next time." - Lilly comments from her corner. - "Make sure they don't touch what does not belong to them."

"Don't worry milady, I have ordered taxi for the muses upstairs. They'll leave in a minute. And nothing was touched. Only me." - Noah turns towards the stairs, as he hears footsteps.

Five beautiful ladies walk down, then wave air kisses, as they walk through short corridor near stairs right out the door.

"My baby Grey is alive?" - Noah asks, looking at Lilly.

After a little moment comes reply from Lilly, as she is deeply into writing her research on laptop.

"Seen him two hours ago. Came out to grab coffee."

"Ah, should go and check on my baby." - Noah got up, - "Thank you goddess Mary for divine tea." - he said as he walked out.

"He's such a player." - Lilly remarks, as Noah leaves.

"Can't get this thing about guys that are popular with ladies - why toying around so much? And I'm still wondering how, with all his fooling around and partying, he's still owner of a designer clothing store? Mystery." - Mary slowly eats up her cake.

"Will you be practising soon?" - Lilly asks, as her fingers keep tapping on keyboard.

"Yes, in few minutes. Already eager to hear me play?" - Mary smiles, as she glances at Lilly.

"I missed your cello sound." - Lilly takes pen to mark something on paper next to her.

Cello music fills the atrium. The sound reverberates, resonating through this massive ceiling room. Lilly smiles, when hears the melody. With soul dancing to the tune - Lilly engulfs in her work. Mary plays her cello daily in this atrium.

Through the music, down the long corridor - you can hear how Grey is scolding Noah for barging in again.

Door smashes open, then loud footsteps come to the atrium.

Mary stops playing, as she sees Grey enter.

"No! Once again - no! I'm absolutely not going with you!" - Grey argues back to Noah.

Mary shrugs and resumes playing cello.

"But baby, have you seen your shabby outfits? You need new ones!" - Noah was full force impudent with his opinion on wardrobe selection of Grey.

"Not going! I have deadlines! Even manager is under stress from all the editorial work! No, I tell you!" - Grey walks to make another coffee.

Noah approaches Grey and hugs him tight from behind.

"Baby please. You have not played with me in a while. I'm super upset." - He pouts, as he snuggles in Greys neck.

Really frustrated Grey, fully awake, yet very tired due to all night writing, has no strength to push off Noah.

"Grey, my baby, please." - Noah keeps pleading softly near Greys ear.

The music is delightful. Once Mary plays - she gives strength with her music, touches heart and soul.

"Alright. You'll have two hours of my time. No more." - Grey feels defeated, yet knows that if not now - then later Noah will make even more trouble for him.

Noah smooches a kiss on Greys cheek, then releases his baby from hug.

"I'm excited! My baby Grey and me are going on a date!" - Noah follows Grey, as latter walks to his room with coffee cup in hand.

"That boys love is surely fun to watch unfold." - Lilly remarks.

Some moments later the two appear fully dressed up and ready. They walk out the front door.

Around twelve midday Grey and Noah return. Both walk to Greys room, as holding so many shopping bags full of clothing was absolutely the bright idea of Noah. The grande scheme of changing Greys wardrobe was full force in action.

Mary leaves for concert hall - she has practise with the orchestra. Lilly finally decides to go to sleep.

A little later Noah leaves for his store for few hours - dealing with orders, paperwork, new collection release dates and planning for fashion shows.

Somewhere past seven in evening comes home Edgar, changes outfit and goes out again.

Around ten in evening everyone returns home. Lilly wakes up.

Dinner is prepared by Mrs. Eliza. She comes to make it around nine in evening and leaves around ten. Right before everyone gets home.

The lady, Mrs.Eliza, is an old madam, around sixty four years of age. The really caring type of grandmother. She also is the landlady - owner of this house.

Once it is past ten in evening - it becomes lively, as everyone comes to atrium kitchen to eat, have drinks and exchange conversations about all that they can.

Mary eats cake with Lilly, right before they go off to watch episode of a series they pick. Trish and Edgar, although tired, have small talk of a gossip about few business and politics world personas they know. While Noah and Grey cave in the glass extension to have drinks and chats about life and writing.

Around midnight the house becomes quiet - everyone is off to sleep. Usually - during working days - the day starts at six in the morning for most.

Buzzing of processors, room is dark and air is chilled.

Monitors show real life surveillance of premises.

Door opens after a short knock, a suited gentleman walks in, followed by gorgeous lady. She runs her fingers through her hair. Door shuts behind her.

"Report." - She gives the order.

Man in chair turns around to face her.

"The test subject integrated well. No errors in system. Waiting for the data from the test subject."

Entry 24

Interaction with humans is flawless.

No system errors.

Emotional sustainability condition - all systems functioning.

Processing core - all systems functioning.

Outer cosmetic body - all systems intact, functioning.

Continuing experiment.

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