[LX-1882] - For a Change

So this turned into my new daily life. Life inside of the palace, instead of out.

There was so much more to the world than I thought there was.

I was allowed to leave my post occasionally, and when I did it was usually to accompany Lady Mao. I stayed far away, though, because I saw how Lord Castro had looked at us.

Sometimes Lord Castro would ask me to help him with things, usually moving boxes. I didn't know what they contained, and I didn't know why he asked me, since I only had a strength stat of 3. I suppose it was because I could turn a "blind eye" to whatever it was.

"Good work today." Lord Castro patted me on the shoulder. "I hope I'm not taking up too much of your time."

"I am always willing to help, my lord," I replied.

"Mm." Lord Castro turned to walk away, then paused, as if he had thought of something. "If you want to come over to the main hall, you're welcome to."

"Yes, my lord."

"That was an invitation, not a command."

I went. If there were some sort of event going on, androids were to sand on the balconies on the sides, if they were not serving. YV-7144 spotted me and waved me over. He was standing with JT-3514 and AL-21066, a housekeeper unit.

"What's going on?" I asked, going over.

"Just a gathering."

"The Prince is coming," JT-3514 noted.

"He's already here," AL-21066 pointed out. "Look."

Prince Evian was there, talking to some humans, with Lord Castro at his side. He glanced at me and smiled, then resumed the conversation.

"Who are they?" I asked.

"I think they must be special guests from outside of Shuijing," AL-21066 replied. "I guess that's why we're having this event today."

"Aren't you supposed to be helping?" JT-3514 asked her, but she shook her head.

"Day off."

Lady Mao was by a keyboard, and Lady Kim passed us by, tapping AL-21066 on the shoulder. AL-21066 was in charge of cleaning her apartment, as well as defense.

Lord Lenin was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, this is where the nice part begins," YV-7144 sighed, leaning on the balcony, letting his sleeves trail off. "Have you ever seen Lady Mao's ability, LX-1882?"

"No…"

"Well, watch and see." YV-7144 grinned in anticipation.

Lady Mao sat down at the keyboard, shaking her sleeves away from her hands. Amidst the noise of the conversation she began to play, at first a quiet melody, then louder, as the guests quieted down and turned to watch.

And there was something that I had never seen before. The sound coming out from the keyboard, the notes, I could see them…vibrant colors, floating up towards the sky…

Magic…

She could turn sound into light and colors.

YV-7144 saw the look on my face and chuckled, but said nothing more.

Once dinner started, the androids and I went somewhere else, down one of the hallways where we could talk in private. "Private" used loosely, of course, since there were still cameras there. Though whether or not those cameras still worked, no one knew, save for the androids who worked in the security room.

"Lady Kim wants me to go out into town to pick up some groceries," AL-21066 said, stretching. "Any of you willing to come with me?"

"We could go now," JT-3514 said. "I need to pick up some ingredients, anyway."

"What do you think, LX-1882?" YV-7144 asked me.

Lady Mao was currently at the dinner, and there certainly was no rule preventing us from leaving the palace. We wouldn't be missed if we came back soon. So I nodded and said, "It's been a while since I've been out."

"YV-7144, you coming?" AL-21066 asked, her long black ponytail swinging.

"Lord Lenin wouldn't like it if I went very far…but there are some things I would like to see, so I'll come."

We left the palace, a group of highly conspicuous androids. The two at the gate, LX-1893 and RX-2219, permitted us to leave after a quick scan. They knew us, and we knew them. Nothing to be suspicious about.

Only if we were to leave the city.

That was the one rule of the palace: we were not allowed to leave, unless we got permission from the High Prince himself.

It was an easy rule to follow. After all, what was there outside of the city? What was there to be seen? Everything that we needed was within. And besides, we were androids, we were made to serve, there was nothing out there for us.

Nothing to tempt us away.

There was a small street market in one of the districts below. AL-21066 had been there before, so we trailed behind her, looking at the different vendors' wares.

JT-3514 began bartering over the price of a few different kinds of spices, while AL-21066 was over near the fruits, so YV-7144 and I stayed together, looking at an assortment of different objects. Household items, decorations, clothing…

"See anything that you like?" YV-7144 asked me.

"Something…?"

"It doesn't have to be for yourself. It could be for Lady Mao, for instance."

"Are you getting something for Lord Lenin?"

"If I see something of interest. Why don't you get something for Lady Mao?"

So I sifted through the different items on the table until I found something that I felt suited Lady Mao.

It was a small gold ornament, with a delicate butterfly on a chain. It would look good as an earring or in hair—even on the hem of her clothing.

Lenin noticed, and said, with some approval, "I think that would look good on her."

"I—I guess I'll buy it, then."

A few stalls down YV-7144 found a silver bird on a chain. "Good luck charms are always popular," he said. "What do you think?"

"I think he'd like it."

YV-7144 smiled to himself, then purchased it. "We should go see how the others are doing."

AL-21066 and JT-3514 were waiting for us at the end of the street. "You two bought something?" AL-21066 asked.

I clutched the butterfly ornament in my pocket, making sure that it was still there. I should find a time to give it to her...

"We have a little more time before dinner's over," JT-3514 said, basket of fruit on his arm. "Where do you guys want to go?"

Down the ashen street was a little courtyard with a dried up fountain in the middle and a few benches next to the street lamps. We sat down there, taking a moment to enjoy the scenery. Not that there was much scenery. Here, things looked as if they had been scorched by a fire.

"So what do you think of magic?" YV-7144 asked me.

"It's very beautiful," I replied.

"Beautiful. Heh." He grinned. "You always seem so obsessed with it. Whatever is beautiful…"

"Because beauty is a wonderful thing," I replied.

"I'm not saying it's bad. You're just one of the only people that I've met to chase beauty like that." And after a pause, he asked, "Why?"

I turned to look at him. My blinded eye was on his side. My ugly, useless eye. Couldn't even be fixed. That part of my system just didn't work anymore.

"Why do you think?"

He gave a half-smile. "Of course. It should have been obvious to me. But I suppose the most blatant reasons are the most hidden."

And after a moment's thought, he said, "Of course, your response could be taken as a question as well…Why do I think? I think because I have a mind, albeit one made out of wires and electric pieces…even though it is of someone else's programming. But I have the ability to think, so I am going to think."

"Thinking that just much just makes me depressed, really," JT-3514 sighed. "But they did a better job with your system than they did mine."

"You just weren't made for the same purposes," YV-7144 said. "I mean, look at AL-21066. She's stronger than the three of us put together and a head taller than you. We were all made for different tasks, so you just can't compare."

"YV-7144," I asked, "have you ever seen any other abilities?"

"The others…?" YV-7144 leaned back on the bench. "I don't know. They generally try to keep them secret."

"I see."

JT-3514 sat up, like he had thought of something. "Oh, yeah, YV-7144. You've been around that outsider lately, haven't you? Tell us about him."

"You see him every time you bring meals down," YV-7144 replied.

"Yeah, but you're with him way longer. And these two don't know what he's like."

"Ah…but I don't think I should go around talking about him in public." YV-7144 rubbed the back of his neck underneath his hair, looking embarrassed.

"Just a little bit? Please?"

"He's usually very quiet. And that's all I'm going to tell you. We should be heading back now."

"Ah, you're no fun," JT-3514 complained, but still he smiled. "LX-1882, you should come on down sometime. I bet you'd like to see him."

"Maybe," I replied.

After all, it was because of the outsider that I was where I was now.