Metalwear Pt. 04

After the meal, they headed out and with Mister Matsuzaka, were driven to the company who had sponsored their trip.

There they met the company's executive team, who spent the first twenty minutes, in the middle of the lobby, examining Kelly's body in minute detail.

They found her suit fascinating and peppered Marla with questions. Kelly was treated like a mannequin. Or actually like an android, a non-human.

She found out why they ignored her so, when they were taken into a nearby demonstration lab and they were introduced to the company's real android girls. They were fully artificial, but they looked very human!

Marla and Kelly were both astounded by how lifelike the half-dozen examples were. As demonstration models, some of them were bare-bones, skinless, and fascinating examples of complex machinery and electronics.

The ones with complete bodies, covered with artificial skin. were beautiful and when activated moved so well that it was hard to tell that they were robots.

Astonishing.

Kelly began to understand why Marla's Metalwear designs were so popular, and why the executives had been so rude. They were used to dealing with robots like these, not with a woman who was merely dressed like an android.

Introduced as Akari, a pretty, but actually quite human young woman, who spoke excellent English, acted as a tour guide for Marla and Kelly. While the executives, all men, stood around proudly.

She explained the capabilities of the robots on display. What each could do, and what they soon would be able to do. It was phenomenal, and they looked so real.

"If you're familiar with our Anime and Manga culture you know how popular androids are in our entertainment space. Particularly those genres called Seinen and Ecchi. Of course, we sell many android girls like these, to men and women, who enjoy them as companions."

Marla interrupted her, "Forgive me, if I'm being rude, but people buy them as sex toys?"

Akari smiled and nodded, "yes. Unlike in America, Japanese men, and women too, are much more open and accepting of sexual, 'toys' as you called them. Here, they're considered 'companions' and as I mentioned, they are designed to be capable of serving as just that -- sexual companions."

"Wow, that is fascinating." Marla replied as she reached over and stroked Kelly's shoulder, possessively.

Kelly, knowing Marla, understood that her lover was very turned-on by the whole idea.

After the demonstration Marla took Matsuzaka aside and when they rejoined the group, it was decided that while Marla met with the company's engineers, Akari would take Kelly on a walking tour of the facility and introduce her to some of the other management staff.

Kelly wasn't thrilled with the idea. Her feet already hurt her, and she expected to encounter more of the same attention and fawning that she'd already suffered through. But she had no real say in the matter, so she followed her guide out into the offices, while Marla and several of the execs headed into a large conference room.

For the next couple of hours, Kelly was lead through administrative areas and introduced to a score of attentive men in suits. Then she and Akira ventured into some huge assembly areas where workers were building robots of all sizes, shapes and types. Only some of them were human-like. All of the others were highly specialized and skeletal machines.

And, as expected, everywhere they went Kelly drew a lot of admiring attention. Particularly from the younger women and men.

Tired of it all, Kelly was relieved when Akira led her back into the conference room and there, among a collection of men, Kelly spotted Marla in animated discussion with the engineers she had come to meet.

Of course, all of those talks came to a halt as the room full of Japanese nerds crowded around and examined Kelly in her android suit. They all chattered away in Japanese, occasionally asking Kelly a question, in passable English, about how the suit fit and functioned.

Kelly answered them as best she could, factually and professionally, even the ones about relieving herself.

But when one of them asked a question about how she had sex in the suit, she blushed and froze, unsure how to answer.

Akari, understanding her feelings, came to her rescue and from the sound of it, scolded the man for his lack of decorum.

A couple of the others giggled at the man's chagrin.

They all spent a few more minutes discussing robots and human androids, before Marla and Matsuzaka declared the end of the day and they exchanged graceful farewells, before heading out the door.

"Marla, did everything go well, in there? Were you pleased with what our engineers offered you?" The company's chief engineer asked as he escorted them to the limo.

"Oh yes. I have several things in mind that I'll want to follow up with you and your team, tomorrow. I'm already certain that we'll be buying several components from your company."

"Excellent," the man said, happily.

During the drive back to the hotel, Kelly sprawled across the big seat, fully burned out by the long day.

She sighed. "What do you have in mind from those guys?" She asked Marla, without even opening her eyes.

"Oh, you'll see. If I can make it all work."

"You're scaring me." Kelly said, stirring and looking over at her partner.

"Don't worry, just relax. Actually, the good news is that tomorrow morning you don't have to come back with me for the next round of discussions with the engineers, if you don't want to, that is. You can stay in the hotel or go out and see the sights of Tokyo. Just remember, tomorrow afternoon we have another appointment with Sakura for our Geisha tea service."

"I'll just stay in the room." Kelly said.

"Are you sure? I'm sure Sakura would be happy to take you out and show you around."

"Will you let me out of the suit?"

"No. you're here to show off that suit. Marketing and sales, remember?"

"Then I'll just relax in the room. I'm sick of being ogled by the Japanese masses."

"Oh, don't be that way. They're good customers and I'm sure they'll buy even more product in the months to come. Just you watch and see."

"Whatever."

Kelly was too tired to go out for dinner, so they again ordered room service.

Afterwards, Marla worked on her computer while Kelly crashed on the bed. No sex was had...

After breakfast, the next morning the Limo again picked up Marla while Kelly lounged around the room, reading and napping.

Just before lunch there was a knock on the room's door and when Kelly opened it, Sakura stood there smiling.

"Hi, Kelly. Marla called and asked me to stop by and take you to lunch. Then you can relax until she returns and we can then all head over to the tea ceremony."

"Oh, she did, did she? I was just planning on room service."

"Oh no. I understand you two have already done too much of that. There is a really nice restaurant just down the block where I'm sure we'll get better fare than what they serve here at the hotel."

Kelly was bored, and she didn't want to be unkind to Sakura, who had been wonderful the whole trip, so she agreed. But first she pulled on the pretty blue dress she had intended to wear yesterday.

As they left the hotel and walked down the sidewalk amongst the crowds of busy Japanese, and Caucasian tourists, Kelly, as always garnered plenty of stares, and comments. Most, in Japanese, she didn't understand, but she felt many of them were sexual in nature.

Sakura smiled happily throughout, although there were a couple of times when she appeared insulted, and wound up giving some guy a disgusted look.

The restaurant was beautifully decorated in the Japanese style and the hostess was gracious and skilled as she showed them to a small semi-private alcove.

Kelly was bewildered, though when she saw that their table was in the Japanese style, set low for people to sit or kneel at, while they ate.

"Sakura, I have a problem. The suit will not allow me to kneel back and sit on my heels, like the Japanese do. I can only bend them so far. I can only kneel up."

"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't know. I'm afraid these are the only tables they have here. Is it uncomfortable for you to kneel up?" Sakura sad unhappily.

"Well, no. Not really, the suit supports me when I kneel." Kelly said, tentatively.

"Oh good, then we can stay and eat here. If you don't mind."

Kelly felt trapped. She didn't want to offend her friend and guide, nor did she want to leave the restaurant, but she pictured herself awkwardly kneeling up, while Sakura and everyone else in the place kneeled comfortably back on their heels, like they all did so casually.

So, she just nodded and somewhat clumsily knelt down on her mat at the table.

After Sakura had ordered their meal, in rapid Japanese, Kelly realized to her horror that she was again faced with chopsticks as the only eating utensil.

"Um, Sakura, we have another problem. I discovered it yesterday at lunch. I'm afraid I am unable to manipulate chopsticks with my hands." Kelly said, holding up her right hand and wiggling her gloved and stiff fingers.

"Oh?" Sakura said. "I have heard of that. Our customers have mentioned that issue, and have either learned to bring their own European utensils around with them, or they allow their escorts to feed them. Actually, I understand that approach has become quite popular. Sexy, humbling and alluring as it is."

She turned to one of the servers, hovering, nearby and spoke to them in Japanese. It was clear to Kelly that she had received a negative response.

"I'm afraid Kelly, that they do not have any European forks or spoons on hand. In this place it is simply not done."

Embarrassed, but with no other option Kelly asked, sheepishly, "Would you mind, then?"

She couldn't believe that she was asking this woman, who she had only just met to feed her.

"Not at all, my dear," Sakura said, smiling pleasantly as she shifted position at the table to one closer to her android friend.

When the food was served, the two of them began the slow and, at first awkward process of eating. Awkward for Kelly, that is. Sakura would pick up a morsel with one set of chopsticks and feed it to Kelly, like a mother bird feeding her baby, then pick up her own sticks and feed herself.

Eating rice in the Japanese style, more or less shoveling it in with the chopsticks while holding the bowl up close to your mouth, took a lot of coordination. But with practice, Kelly learned to hold the bowl in her own hands, while Sakura, leaning in close and did the shoveling.

They wound up giggling a lot, even though Kelly was constantly embarrassed by it all.

As they gained some experience and settled into a rhythm, though, it became almost intimate and Kelly sensed that the opinions of the few other diners, who could see their antics, seemed to change, from scandalized frowns to amused and approving smiles.

One woman, passing by their table whispered something to Sakura, who covered her mouth delicately and giggled.

"What did she say?" Kelly asked, curiously.

"Um, she said that we make a cute couple." Sakura said, before again hiding and giggling.

Kelly blushed, and chuckled. She picked up her tiny teacup and took a sip to cover her embarrassment.

She also realized that she was aroused by the whole thing. Not just by the comment, but by the entire situation. It was humiliating, but in a way that seemed so very sensuous. So racy. It turned her on!

The two of them sat quietly, lost in thought for several minutes before Sakura seemed to snap out of it. She once again picked up Kelly's chopsticks and slowly and gracefully placed another piece of fish up against Kelly's lips.

Their eyes met, and a slightly different feeling passed between them, before Kelly opened her mouth and sucked the food in.

Sakura smiled delicately, and then they fell back into their practiced process, and eventually finished their meal.

Sakura had to pay the bill, as Kelly didn't have a purse. She never carried one, while she was an android.

The walk back was pleasant, despite the looks of the passersby. A couple of times Kelly heard derisive laughter, but never from the Japanese, only from the obvious tourists.

At one point as they crossed a busy street, Sakura reached out and grabbed Kelly's gloved hand, and they continued to hold hands, as they walked along the sidewalk the rest of the way back to the hotel.

Sakura said goodbye at the door to the suite. "I'll be back in a couple of hours. Marla should also return at that time, as we can't be late for our reservation at the teahouse. That would be very rude."

"That's fine. I do need a nap. Thank you for such a wonderful time. And especially for all of your help. Feeding me was really beyond the call of duty,"

"Oh, I really enjoyed our lunch, and feeding you was my pleasure. As the lady said, it was cute."

And Sakura stood on her tiptoes, reached up and gave Kelly a sweet kiss on the lips, before breaking into a giggle, turning abruptly and walking away.

Kelly was surprised, but pleasantly so. She was smiling as she stepped into her room and closed the door. She stood there for a few minutes, reviewing her fun date with her new Japanese friend, before grunting in disgust, and walking into the bathroom to relieve herself. It was a terrible way to end a fun affair. But at that moment, it was necessary and as always, troublesome.

Kelly was napping when Marla returned.

"That was a great session. I learned a lot; those guys sure are smart." She said as Kelly started to stir.

"That's good, I guess."

"Of course, it is. I'll be able to use their ideas, and a couple of their components in my new android designs."

"Oh, Marla what more can you add, especially from them?" Haven't you gone far enough into the whole android thing?"

Marla looked down at her, sternly. "No Kelly, I haven't. I have many more ideas. So just leave me to it."

Kelly got the message and just let it go. She was sure she'd find out, probably the hard way, sooner or later.

The two of them spent the next hour getting ready for their appointment at the Geisha house. Marla changed and made herself look pretty, and then did Kelly's hair and makeup so she did too.

As Marla worked on Kelly's hair, she asked about her lunch date.

"It was fun." Kelly answered, casually.

"Tell me."

"Well, we walked to a nice, but traditional Japanese restaurant, the food was great, and Sakura and I had a nice time."

"Any issues? No crowds or photographers?"

Kelly sighed. "No, nothing like that. But I had to kneel up at the low table, I can't kneel back on my heels, you know, like the Japanese do, and she had to feed me, because I can't use chopsticks with my gloves."

Marla chuckled, "oh, that must have been fun. I wish I could have seen that."

"Marla, that's why this suit isn't practical! Don't you get it?" Kelly argued. She was upset by her partner's lack of understanding of that one clear point. It was obvious to her, at least.

"Oh, stop your whining. People are buying my designs, and that's what matters. Come on, now, Sakura will be here soon."

Sakura called, just moments later, and told them that she was in front with the limo, they went down and climbed in with her.

The drive took quite a while, heading out beyond the edge of town. The countryside was very pleasant, pretty, green and pastoral. The driver took them through a small well-maintained forest and parked in a quiet area, where they got out, and walked carefully down a gravel path through more trees.

Marla and Kelly were stunned, when they arrived at an elegantly beautiful seemingly ancient Japanese building surrounded by gardens, a brook and a koi pond.

"It's beautiful." Marla said quietly.

"Yes," Sakura said reverently. "It is intended to be peaceful and enjoyable. Please keep that in mind. Americans tend to not understand those two concepts in the same way we Japanese do."

They were met by several pretty women in gorgeous kimonos, and heavy makeup, and with elaborate hairstyles. All were smiling pleasantly and moving gracefully.

The three of them were shown to a private little room with a small, and low table, where once again Kelly had to kneel up, while Sakura and Marla knelt and sat back on their heels.

The two Geishas who had accompanied them seemed upset until Sakura spoke with them. Then they bowed out to prepare their tea.

"I had to explain why you can't kneel as is the tradition. Everything we do and they do, today, is scripted and we need to try and play your part." She said. And Marla and Kelly both understood. They'd read a lot about this ritual, and were interested to see how it went.

Just then, there was a polite knock on the sliding door, and two photographers came in and bowed.

They spoke in almost a whisper with Sakura for a few minutes, before taking up positions in the corners of the room, cameras in hand.

Soon afterwards the two Geishas returned with a couple of trays and the ceremony began.

It was truly fascinating. Watching the careful step-by-step process of making and then serving the tea, by the two graceful girls, following carefully prescribed movements.

Kelly was relieved when she was able to, just barely, handle the tiny and delicate cups and drink her brew.

Marla was surprised when Sakura took it upon herself to feed Kelly from the plates of morsels provided with their drinks. She and Kelly had apparently benefited from their practice at lunch. And they almost seemed to enjoy it. Marla actually felt a pang of jealousy as they smiled at each other while they ate.

All the while the women did their best to ignore the photographers snapping away, recording their movements and actions.

Kelly had a difficult time of it, especially when she realized that they'd have photos of her being fed, like a child.

After they were served, the two Geishas, bowing respectfully, left them to enjoy their tea and food.

They returned several times to fuss over them, making sure all was perfect.

It was a couple of hours later when the three of them finally left and climbed back into the car for the trip back to the city.

"Those photos will make for a series of great articles on local media," Sakura enthused, as they sat in the back of the car. "It will be great publicity for the company. I'm sure our sales will be much affected."

Marla chuckled. "It was certainly a beautifully interesting meal. Thank you for that, too."

"It was special." Kelly added.

"I thought it was fun, too. Watching you being fed, like that. I appreciated not having to do that chore. Thank you, Sakura, for handling that."

Kelly blushed, embarrassed, but Sakura just smiled and nodded. "It was no trouble at all. I found it enjoyable. Kelly in her android suit is actually really attractive."

"I know, right?" Marla said laughing. "But I'm afraid she doesn't think so."

"Oh, but you are, my dear," Sakura said, turning to Kelly. "I think you're adorable."

"See, my love," Marla said, "you should relax and enjoy your android outfit. And besides, it's making us all rich!"

Back at the hotel, in the lobby the three of them said their goodbyes. Marla and Kelly would be leaving in the morning, so Sakura wouldn't be seeing them, again.

Marla and Sakura hugged and Sakura told her how wonderful her designs were, and assured her that the Metalwear line would be a huge seller in the weeks and months to come, thanks in great part to their visit.

Then Sakura turned to Kelly and hugged her, and then, surprisingly kissed her. When she stepped back, she smiled shyly. "I really enjoyed our time together Kelly. I hope we meet again. As I said, before, I find you adorable, in your wonderful Metalwear suit. And before a stunned Kelly could think of anything to say, the intriguing Japanese girl turned and walked out.