Lilja ascended the stairs to the front door of the manor house that would now be her residence as the sole heir to the Darkstar fortune and holdings. She surveyed the human-like clank holding a lantern and waiting in the silent, rigid ways of his kind. "If you have speech ability I pray you would tell me your designation?" She said. A surprisingly human, if expressionless voice, emitted from a small conical structure in place of it's mouth. "I am Mr. Butler. I am named for the service I perform, Madame." There was a moment of silence and before Lilja could respond the clank again spoke. "Your large companion exceeds the dimensions of the manor's portals and most of it's interior. It will need attend you from outside the building. I beg your pardon if this will be inconvenient." "But it..." Lilja stopped. She was discomfited by the impersonal pronoun even for a clank. She resumed, "...He... I mean he is my guardian. He is meant to be near me at all times according to my foreman, Fat Bob. It was my Uncle Ebeneezer's wish, apparently." "I am truly chagrined that it is a physical impossibility to accommodate a mechanism of it's dimensions within the mansion without structural damage. I will speak to it if you permit, Madame." The butler awaited Lilja's permission. "Very well, Mr. Butler," she replied. There was a brief exchange in the ticking, whirring language of clanks. "It agrees that it will patrol the perimeter of the manor house and informs me it will enter without regard to possible damage only if you call upon it do so. Will that be satisfactory, Madame?" "Thank you, Mr. Butler, I believe it will." She turned to the Guardian. "Thank you, for your forbearance. I know you wish to honor all the wishes of your previous Governor. I must say I do feel a little concerned that my uncle thought such was necessary for my safety." The gigantic mechanism, not gifted with human speech nodded. "Alright, Mr. Butler. I am fatigued after this long day devoted to learning of all I am now responsible for. I would wish to be introduced only to that staff necessary to assist me for retiring for the night. I will continue learning about my staff and holdings upon breaking fast on the morrow." "As you wish, Madame. If you would but follow me?" Molly's art notes: Set up and rendered in Poser 12.0.500 with the Superfly Cycles 2 rendering engine. The Guardian is by Jonnte. Lilja is based on La Femme with textures and morphs by Tempesta3d and Afrodite-ohki. The Butler is a mannequin by Cybertenko. The scene includes a mansion by RPublishing. ----- If you wish to click through the story it's easier at Deviant Art. The story begins at the following link: https://www.deviantart.com/mollyfootman/art/Lilja-Darkstar-ponders-875997592