The Stick Figure Lady Ch. 03

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Jacob had found his bags tucked away in the living area, as Conrad promised the night before. He extracted his spare clothes, which were marginally better suited for meeting a Countess, albeit slightly wrinkled from their time in his baggage.

I wonder if I can...

Jacob set his shirt aloft, inflating it before his eyes as if there were an invisible man wearing it. He smoothed the wrinkles out with his mind, warming the air inside and stretching the fabric carefully.

Okay, that was ridiculously easy. I didn't even have to concentrate on holding the shirt up while I did it, it just stayed there.

Jacob stared at the ghostly shirt, wondering if he was disappointed that what passed for 'magic' might be a little too easy. Where were the musty books; the endless hours of study and mental discipline? Or the comas or headaches that came with abilities in stories.

Well you did have to fall through a portal into another world. Isn't that enough?

Okay, I'll give you that much. I get the feeling there should be more though, like with the heat. It can't just be moving things, and even then if I can do it on a molecular level, can I go beyond that? Atomic and sub-atomic?

"Okay, you do realise your talking to yourself again," Jacob said to himself, "Or thinking to yourself, or..."

Jacob stared at the shirt, which was still floating there. He looked at the pants he still held and smiled.

Brea looked up when she saw Jacob walk into the bedroom, or what she thought was Jacob at first. Strolling into the room was a pair of pants and shirt, Jacob was nowhere in sight.

"Jacob," Brea laughed as the clothes began dancing around and striking random poses.

"Yes Brea," Jacob said, sticking his head through the doorway and smiling.

"You clothes. Elenor," Brea said, shaking her finger at him.

"Me? But Brea, what about you," Jacob said, eyeing her, "Girls without clothes on shouldn't throw stones. Or live in glass houses. Although..."

"Clothes Jacob," Brea said in exasperation, shooing him and his puppet clothing.

He was doing up the last buttons on his shirt when someone knocked on the door. Jacob answered it, and sure enough Elenor was outside, accompanied by breakfast bearing servants.

"Good morning Jacob, I hope you slept well," Elenor said.

"I did, thankyou, and good morning to you as well. Please," Jacob said, stepping aside and holding the door open.

"Thankyou," Elenor said, stepping inside.

"Hello," Jacob said to the servants that trailed after her, "Good morning to you both."

"Good morning sir," they echoed together, a man and woman, neither of whom he recognised from the night before.

They efficiently set up the meal, uncovering trays bearing plates of wonderfully smelling food. Hot food, Jacob was pleased and amused to note.

Brea is going to be happy.

"It smells amazing, is that freshly baked bread I see?" Jacob asked.

"Yes sir, straight from the kitchens," the female servant replied, "Will there be anything else sir?"

Jacob looked at the table, and the elaborate breakfast, the bread that someone had been hours before dawn making.

Anything else? Wait is that coffee?

"No I think we'll manage," Jacob suppressed a shout of happiness, "Thankyou...?"

"Emily sir," she replied.

"And?" Jacob prompted.

"Gregory sir," the man replied.

"Well have a good day, Emily, Gregory," Jacob said, following them to the door.

"And you sir," Gregory replied.

Jacob closed the door and turned back to Elenor, and more importantly, to the coffee.

"You aren't used to servants?" Elenor asked.

"No," Jacob replied, lifting the pot of coffee to his nose, "It fell out of fashion some time ago. Though admittedly household chores are probably much more time consuming here."

Jacob watched Elenor as he spoke, gauging her reaction to his hints. After she'd withheld information the day before he had decided to be equally as sparing with details of the 'old world'. Sure enough she looked like she wanted to ask what he meant.

"Brea, Elenor is here," Jacob said loudly, "As is breakfast, which I'm sure your more interested in."

Elenor looked at him, confused and curious.

"Inside joke," Jacob said, clarifying nothing for her, "Coffee?"

"I," Elenor paused, looking at him, "Women drink coffee in the old world?"

Jacob paused in pouring his coffee, looking up at her surprised.

"Ah, yes they do. I'm sorry this is going to take some getting used to," Jacob stopped, "A lot of things have changed in my world. Equality among the sexes being one of them."

"Equality," Elenor sounded the word out, "What exactly does that mean."

"Essentially, that nobody is barred from doing something because of their gender. Or race for that matter," Jacob replied, "It's not that simple in practice, but that's the spirit of it. And it's not the whole world, some places are still not accepting of-"

Jacob cut off as Brea walked into the room. It wasn't her presence that stilled his tongue, but rather the absence of something. Her clothes.

"What-" Elenor began to ask, while turning her head to see what he was looking at. Her words died as well as Brea ambled into the room.

What the hell is she... Brea ambled through the room, waving to Elenor as she made her way over to where he'd found his bags. She bent down to a bag he hadn't noticed beside them, her bag. Although with her bent over in front of him, the presence of her bag still eluded him.

Clearly, given the sound that Elenor made, she too was looking. If Jacob had to put a word to that sound, it could only be 'urk'. Tearing his eyes away he looked to her, finding her face as red as her hair. Brea took that moment to peek back at them, flashing her seemingly ever present mischievous smile along with the rest of body.

"Brea," Jacob began, but stopped, unsure what to say.

She stood once more, holding green fabric in her hands.

A dress? She was getting clothes? Why did she wait...

"Hello Elle-en-or," Brea said softly, seductively.

Elenor's eyes snapped shut, her face scrunching up with the effort she put into keeping them that way. Jacob watched the exchange, curiosity and confusion battling inside him.

Is she teasing? Flirting? Marking her territory? What the hell is going on?

Brea walked back towards the bedroom, giving Jacob another of her smiles on the way. A muffled sound came from the room the moment she was out of sight, it might have been laughter. Elenor remained frozen, eyes clamped shut, breathing ragged.

"Elenor, are you okay?" Jacob asked, uncertain as to what his own answer to that question would be, "Brea can be... Surprising."

Elenor didn't answer him, nor did she open her eyes, but merely sat, catatonic.

"Elenor?" he prompted again.

Her eyes opened, and scanned the room rapidly for any sign of her naked tormentor. Finding Brea absent brought her visible relief. She could not manage to make eye contact with Jacob though, instead staring at the food before her, as if it held the answer.

"The food looks excellent," Jacob said amicably, to give the woman time to regather herself.

Her only response was a nod, although she made no move to begin eating. Jacob refrained from eating as well, waiting for Brea. His manners did not extend to the coffee however, which he sipped with a contented sigh.

Jacob had mixed feelings upon Brea's return; the green silk dress suited her beautifully, but naked she was ambrosia for his eyes. Compared to Elenor's elaborate fabric construction, Brea's dress was simple, yet where the governess's disguised her shape, Brea's simply covered it. When she moved the silk pressed against her body, a hint of the breathtaking curves beneath.

Her diamond was in plain sight, a fortune hanging from her slender neck. It was a sight lost to Elenor, who could not bring herself to so much as glance. Brea pulled a chair close to Jacob, patting his arm affectionately as she sat. That was the extent of her interaction with the others, as breakfast immediately captured her attention.

"Elenor, I know you aren't terribly comfortable right now, but I suggest you eat something," Jacob said, "Otherwise you might not have the opportunity."

The governess gave him a weak smile, and shaking herself, began eating.

"So what was it that you could not tell me yesterday," Jacob asked, not wanting to let on what he already knew just yet.

Elenor immediately shifted into her lecture mode; back straightening, her breathing steady. Jacob knew even before she begun talking she'd practiced the words she was going to say.

"Our society is built around a certain highly valued skill, and the preservation of that skill," Elenor said as if reading from a script, "Those who possess the skill are privileged and it is also required to hold titles or important positions within the government."

Elenor paused, waiting to see if he had questions, there was one that had begun to form in Jacob's mind, but he wasn't quite ready to ask it. The connotations of the answer he expected were somewhat outside his established concept of normality.

"You don't know it yet, but you posses the skill I mentioned. It is a legacy from the old world, or rather something that those who come from the old world gain upon arriving here," Elenor continued, forehead wrinkling when Jacob did not respond, "You already know. She showed you?"

Brea chose that moment to float a sugar lump out of the bowl in the middle of the table and into her cup. Jacob shot her an exasperated glance, hoping she would stop teasing Elenor before the redhead decided to get revenge.

"Yes, although I did want to ask if there was more to it than the," Jacob paused, rewording his question, "Than moving things."

"No, it's just that," she replied, then grumbled under her breath, "You could have told me you knew."

"I'm sorry Elenor, I wasn't sure you would be honest with me," Jacob took the governess's hand when she looked upset at his words, "I don't think you would lie to me, but this is a world I don't know, and though I like you, I don't truly know you either."

The scarlet blush that had disappeared from Elenor's cheeks after Brea had finally ceased her teasing returned at his touch. She quivered as his hand brushed hers, and Jacob was suddenly aware of the differences in culture and propriety between them. He was also aware that Brea's hand had come to rest on his thigh, very high up his thigh.

"I'm sorry," Jacob said, letting go of Elenor's hand, "I-"

"Elle-en-nor," Brea whispered in her seductive soft voice, the meaning of the words that followed lost to him, but his body redirected blood in response.

Whatever it was she had said, to say Elenor was shocked would be an understatement. She seemed to retract into herself, reaching a level beyond embarrassment, she was mortified. Her eyes closed to shut out the world.

"Elenor," Jacob said quietly, putting together all the parts of what he knew and Brea's actions, "The ability is hereditary isn't it?"

Elenor nodded, unable to speak.

"But it eventually fades away," Jacob said, remembering she had mentioned people without the ability.

Elenor nodded again.

"So I'm not just valuable because of my ability, but also because I am," Jacob took a deep breath, "Able to pass on the ability to my children."

Elenor nodded once more, her eyes opening to look at him.

"You mentioned it was required to hold titles. And yesterday you mentioned the Countesses daughters," Jacob did not ask the question, but knew she would get the implication.

Elenor nodded, eyes darting to Brea and back to him.

"And Brea," Jacob said, wondering how he felt about that. He felt there was more to their relationship than that, but it hurt to know that there were other motives behind what was happening between them as well.

Brea looked up at him upon hearing her name. She touched her chest over her heart, then reached out to touch his the same way. Jacob repeated the gesture, dismissing his doubts and fears. It was enough even without the words.

"And you Elenor?" Jacob asked, a part of him very enthusiastic about the possibility.

Elenor squeaked. There was no other way to describe it

"Brea seems to think that you might be interested. Or maybe she's interested, I'm not sure," Jacob said, stroking his lover's hair while staring at the mortified governess, "Would you like to know what I think of the idea?"

Elenor nodded, barely, almost imperceptibly, but she nodded.

"Then you'll have to ask me," Jacob stated calmly, despite the evidence of his answer being somewhat on display already.

Shivers wracked Elenor's body, she shook from head to toe, and her eyes closed.

She didn't just...

I think she did. You know, I think I'll like it here.

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More to come. Hope you enjoyed it.