[b]Bella![/b]

"You're right," said Artemis. "You are not the best piece I have. In fact, you're actually horribly obsolete. Three hundred years out of date. Sanalessa, another Diodekoi, is on this same ship and she is your superior in every way. Not least that she actually [i]trains[/i], while you've been coasting since the Olympics and you're horribly out of shape. Unfortunate, because Vesper will have her fight you, and she'll kick your [i]entire [/i]ass and probably set me back a century."

"But," sighed Artemis. "She's useless to me. Even you're probably useless to me, to be honest. I am not being kept from my target because none of my huntresses are capable of bench pressing enough iron. Zeus took first crack at the problem, after all. All the galaxy couldn't apply more violence. No, what I need isn't bigger, faster, stronger what I need is..."

She trailed off for a moment, letting an idea roll about on the tip of her tongue. "Mistletoe," she said eventually. "What I need is mistletoe."

[b]Ember and Dolce![/b]

"[i]Good[/i]"

The pheromone slips inside your heads and burns to the core. [i]Good[/i]. Things are [i]good[/i]. You are [i]good[/i]. All of this is so, so [i]good[/i]. Ember feels arms wrap around her shoulders as Gemini nuzzles against her cheek. It isn't clear that the reward centres of your brains, already so overloaded by the weight of the situation, needed this additional kick from an Oratus Adept but it does mean there's no space to go from here.

"Did you forget about us, little pets?" said Taurus, stretching languidly as she came into the room. "How silly of you. I've let you play around for too long, but it's time for you to remember that you have to [i]earn [/i]your treats."
She reached into her bag and scattered a handful of collars across the floor. Each of them had a name ready and engraved. "Please, put on your collars, all of you. You can help each other if you finish early. Then we're going to do some practice - I cannot be having fights breaking out when you perform for Mistress Vasilia."

[b]Dyssia![/b]

A metal stencil comes out of those robes and presses against the wall. With a puff of yellow smoke, it imprints a hazard warning sign on the metal:

AREA IDENTIFIED AS RESPONSIBLE FOR INEFFICIENT HEAT BLEED
AREA WILL BE SEALED OFF AND USED FOR PLASMA CONDENSATION STORAGE
VACATE AREA IMMEDIATELY

Then that blank hood turns to stare at you and a metal finger taps the sign loudly and pointedly.