The Beholderkin

Sitting about four feet off the ground behind a tall standing desk was… something alien. It certainly had the shape of a feminine creature but… there was no mistaking that this was not a being native to the material plane. She floated gently, sitting in a crosslegged position. A deep blue skirt that didn’t quite reach her knees, complemented nicely with a white button up shirt. She wore a pair of matching blue flats that were in pristine condition, the benefits of never having to walk Arthur supposed. Her skin was a smooth grey, although her limbs were a jet black, giving her legs at least the illusion of wearing thigh high stockings. Flexible black stalks ending with a golden eye, each about a foot long protruded from the back of her head, their bases hidden by long black hair. One swiveled over to investigate the door.

“Miss Shiavereth is out presently. You may leave a message.” She said this without looking away from her screen. Her sentence clipped at the end, as if the act of speaking was below her. Her voice was slightly monotone and oddly nasal. It had a quality of boredom about it.

“Oh, um I guess just tell her that Arthur stopped by, and ask her to call him at her earliest convenience.” Her head turned toward him. She had one large eye, a red iris and a slitted black pupil.

She exhaled, grimacing. “Miss Shiavereth said that if you came by that I should endeavor to be friendly.” Her voice practically dripped with exasperation. Why should she have to be friendly? Employee resources had frequently labeled her as ‘abrasive’ in the past, although with some prompting from Dany they hadn’t put ‘actively hostile’ in her file.

She floated over to Arthur, uncrossing her legs to let them hang listless beneath her. “Miss Shiavereth said that a pat on the shoulder is a sign of camaraderie, and engenders a sense of belonging and acceptance. I was told that I should practice on you.” She said this with all the enthusiasm of someone being told that they had a weekend of chores to do.

Arthur tried to back up but found himself already pressed into the opaque office door. She reached out.