Re: Yukimura Estate, Session 1
Kasumi could not see the masked woman's face to know how she had taken this most recent outburst of fidelity towards the Master, but by the way the mask's eyes turned towards her, she knew she had the lady's attention.
"You've no memory, and yet you're still so loyal to him? Does this Gomon have such powers of attraction and command?" The question seemed to be a rhetorical one, and Kasumi heard the woman sigh. "It seems that there is nothing that can be done then. I think I shall wait here alone, until your master is ready to send for me. That will be all for now."
Kasumi was dismissed and allowed to go where she willed for the time being.
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The frantic pacing caused a problem with Toy, for the woman with impeded sight and legs not meant for rapid quadrupedal movement could not move at the pace of the dogs and the upright maid. Her leash tugged and she yalped as it began to choke her and drag her. She scrambled as best she could but every stop confused Duke, making it seem like it was okay to do as he pleased in the current spot, only to be yelled at by Shiina immediately.
The whole process had the effect of riling up the dogs, who got very excited and began to bark and run and pull Shiina in several directions at once.
The group made its way finally over to the stables, but Toy was having a lot of difficulty, and was beginning to tug back on her leash as well like the other dogs, apparently getting a bit fed up at the unreasonable pace that was being asked of her. Duke finally found a place to relieve himself that wasn't a part of the garden, so Shiina didn't object. As she was about to turn to rebuke Toy for a very harsh grunt of objection, she noticed a shadow figure in the stable doorway, looking out at her. Once it saw them it disappeared out of sight, within the stables.
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Having put the fat noble to sleep, Ariane ran across to the dining room and looked about. No one seemed to be in sight, so she dashed across the way to the kitchen, which was likewise empty. She sort through the spice racks and found some potent smelling selections that she prayed might work. Racing back across the hallway she re-entered the dining room, only to skid to a stop as she saw Fade standing over the unconscious fat man, one hand on the man's neck as he felt for a pulse.
"Ah, Miss Ariane. Something happened to our guest?" His tone was soft, and without urgency, and it made Ariane worry that he might know something.
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The man in the plague mask inclined his head, as if in a token of respect to Ayeka.
"I am here to acquire his services, but not in the manner of the display we saw outside. You are a sharp one. It gives me confidence about your chances."
He stretched out his hands, which were gloved in fine velvet, and made a gesture. The lights seemed to dim in the ball room, the sunlight winking out to be replaced by moonlight, even in the middle of the day. Candles in the chandaliers became lit and a music began to play out of nowhere. Ayeka recognized this effect as a Fae glamour: a grand illusion reserved for just the two of them.
"Will you dance with me?" he asked, bowing low in a manner appropriate for a festival time, very much the epitome of a masquerade stranger in his mask and outfit. Somehow, in this new mood that the man had cast over the ballroom, he was no longer creepy, but rather simply mysterious and by extension, alluring.
"I am not hungry, nor would I impose upon my host by wandering his domain. I am in a ballroom, so I should not let it go to waste."
He held out a hand to her.
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The slimes were dullards. Examination of their primitive neural network suggested that there was not an inkling of higher though in their "brains" beyond natural instincts - predominant among them was the need to drink. They were attracted to fluids of all sorts, though they would seek out sources of thicker liquids. Next amongst there drives was the need to propagate with other beings. Sex driven thirst quenchers, in a nutshell. They also had a keen fight or flight instinct - which was controlled more or less by their prospects of fulfilling their two prime directives.
Language was beyond them. Tone was perhaps the only thing that might work. Call them idiots in a loving voice, and they might coo up to Zehasael thinking of sexing her. Call them amazing paragons of slimehood in a harsh and angry tone, and they would flee for their puny lives. Complex orders would be lost upon them.
Zehasael's best hope with such simple creatures would be to activate or deactivate their usual operations. She could tell them to feed, fight, flee, or fuck. Or to cease in doing any of those things.
With time, she might be able to set up some sort of tonal recognition system for verbal commands, but that would be a very slow process indeed, and not something that she could magically rush. Until then, all control of the slimes would need to be telepathic, and therefore more tiring.
