Isolde's suggestion was the plan that Rodias already had in mind for the Chapter. After all, there would be no point in awakening the Chapter if it wasn't meant to be used. As such, Rodias would nod. "Please, do. Take what resources you need in order to restore the COIN to functionality...but, take care not to use up everything we have. For now, even a quarter functionality would be sufficient," Rodias said, aware that they were already pretty low on resources...let alone the materials needed to maintain a facility like the COIN.
With a simple nod, Isolde acknowledged Rodias' command. By her internal estimations, the CHapter wouldn't require too much in order to be restored to a functioning state. The main issue seemed to be parts of the facility having broken down due to a mix of prolonged disuse and lack of maintenance, coupled with the sudden reactivation. Of course, there was no need for her to mention this to Rodias or Salem, as neither could do anything about it, and with permission to fix it, the matter was as good as resolved.
However, the Chapter Keeper herself did not spring to action. Instead, her head turned towards the ten ESPER WIngs slightly behind the trio, with a soft whirr of her neck-servo. She oepened her mouth, but instead of words, a rapid-fire jumble of what could only be described as noise came out. It sounded like a mix of someone playing a recording in fast-forward, coupled with Isolde's rather one-tone voice, which made for not only a bizarre combination, but also a surprise to hear, as neither of her two guests would have ever imagined that she could 'speak' that fast. Once the string of verbal prridge ended, the ESPER Wings each nodded and began to move.
Walking in a perfect line, they marched down the staiwell of the dais and onto the ground below, then proceeded towards the exit of the Chapter, not saying a thing. Isolde's head turned back to Rodias at this point.
"Pleased. Instructions have been issued. Acquisition of limited but necessary materials underway. Chamber repairs will begin imminently." She stated, unenthused. Her head then turned to Salem. "Curious. Why is Tiny here?" She asked plainly.
Rodias froze, once again stunned by the curtness of this gynoid. That was...very rude. Salem was only tiny because he preferred that body. If he wanted to, Salem could literally be the size of a building as long as the body had eyeholes and joints. Clearing his throat, Rodias would state: "Salem was watching me try and wake you up. Given that Dr. Drd was the one who was renovating your chapter, I imagine he was coming to assist me," Rodias said, knowing damn well that Salem didn't help for free, or for fun.
Salem's suggestion that Rodias could fix it himself caused the vampire to clear his throat once again. "Well...honestly, I neglected crafting, back in the day. As such, I haven't the foggiest clue how to repair any part of this place. The ESPERs seem to have this under control, though."
"Understood." The automaton replied, as Rodias explained the why as to Salem was present in her domain.
Once the topic of fixing the Chamber came to attention though, Isolde's head tilted slightly, in a very odd angle that looked painful - at least if you had a natural skeleton. It was an attempt at mimicking the body-language of others, something she was sorely lacking in, and tremendously bad at. Still, the effort was there. As Rodias replied before she could, Isolde's eyes flickered to briefly look at him, before returning to Salem.
"Confused. The damage to the Chamber is not extensive, thus the servitor golems should be able to repair the facility as per usual. No anomalies or substantial irregularities are preventing the Chamber from being restored through standard procedures." She explained. The only reason the golems hadn't been starting repairing the facility proper once they were started back up was simply because the necessary materials weren't present in the COIN itself. With the ESPER Wings now on their way to pillage retrieve resources from the Chateau stockpiles, it was only a matter of time before the restoration could commence. Thus, Isolde's head turned back to look at Rodias.
"Estimation. Time to repair Chamber is calculated to be less than 24 hours. Suggestion. It would be beneficial to explain the compelx situation previously mentioned to this unit, so as to get a better grasp of the current predicament." The little gynoid spoke, obviously wanting to know just what the heck was going on. After all, the poor thing had spent almost 6 years asleep, then wakes up to find that everyone has vanished and their home is now somewhere else, with only one Creator left standing. Needless to say, she might be curious about the whole ordeal.
Rodias would first begin thinking of what needed to be recounted. Isolde seemed very blunt, so any unnecessary details ought to be skipped over. Turning his gaze down to Isolde, before instead choosing to kneel down to be on eye level, Rodias would explain: "To be brief... we're no longer in YGGDRASIL..." giving Isolde all the details she needed to know, as well as any details that were important that had come up prior to him arriving in her Chapter.
"Understood." The automaton said, again plainly and bluntly. At this point, Rodias and Salem noticed the ten ESPERs return, each holding a crate with supplies in their arms. As soon as they sat the boxes down on the floor, the golems of the Chamber seemed to stop momentarily, then turned in unison towards the newly arrived materials... And then, as if racing each ohter, began to lumber towards the fresh resources, grinding and groaning as their metallic bodies hurried towards the things they needed to perform their tasks. The ESPERs quietly and effortlessly moved out of the way, returning to the dais where Rodias, Salem and Isolde were.
"Repairs commencing. Expelling distrations for maximum efficacy." Isolde said, unceremoniously. At that point, Salem would be grabbed by one of the ESPERs, without a word, being held like a teddy bear against her chest. Meanwhile, Rodias would find himself hoisted into the air by three of them, carrying him as if he was crowd-surfing. The four ESPERs then proceeded to take their guests to the COIN's exit, where they were summarily deposited, and given nothing but a curt wave of the Isolde-look-a-likes, before they returned to the Chamber, as the sound of clanking and buzzing and sparking and crackling could be heard growing in volume from the now laboring servitors.
With a simple nod, Isolde acknowledged Rodias' command. By her internal estimations, the CHapter wouldn't require too much in order to be restored to a functioning state. The main issue seemed to be parts of the facility having broken down due to a mix of prolonged disuse and lack of maintenance, coupled with the sudden reactivation. Of course, there was no need for her to mention this to Rodias or Salem, as neither could do anything about it, and with permission to fix it, the matter was as good as resolved.
However, the Chapter Keeper herself did not spring to action. Instead, her head turned towards the ten ESPER WIngs slightly behind the trio, with a soft whirr of her neck-servo. She oepened her mouth, but instead of words, a rapid-fire jumble of what could only be described as noise came out. It sounded like a mix of someone playing a recording in fast-forward, coupled with Isolde's rather one-tone voice, which made for not only a bizarre combination, but also a surprise to hear, as neither of her two guests would have ever imagined that she could 'speak' that fast. Once the string of verbal prridge ended, the ESPER Wings each nodded and began to move.
Walking in a perfect line, they marched down the staiwell of the dais and onto the ground below, then proceeded towards the exit of the Chapter, not saying a thing. Isolde's head turned back to Rodias at this point.
"Pleased. Instructions have been issued. Acquisition of limited but necessary materials underway. Chamber repairs will begin imminently." She stated, unenthused. Her head then turned to Salem. "Curious. Why is Tiny here?" She asked plainly.
Rodias froze, once again stunned by the curtness of this gynoid. That was...very rude. Salem was only tiny because he preferred that body. If he wanted to, Salem could literally be the size of a building as long as the body had eyeholes and joints. Clearing his throat, Rodias would state: "Salem was watching me try and wake you up. Given that Dr. Drd was the one who was renovating your chapter, I imagine he was coming to assist me," Rodias said, knowing damn well that Salem didn't help for free, or for fun.
Salem's suggestion that Rodias could fix it himself caused the vampire to clear his throat once again. "Well...honestly, I neglected crafting, back in the day. As such, I haven't the foggiest clue how to repair any part of this place. The ESPERs seem to have this under control, though."
"Understood." The automaton replied, as Rodias explained the why as to Salem was present in her domain.
Once the topic of fixing the Chamber came to attention though, Isolde's head tilted slightly, in a very odd angle that looked painful - at least if you had a natural skeleton. It was an attempt at mimicking the body-language of others, something she was sorely lacking in, and tremendously bad at. Still, the effort was there. As Rodias replied before she could, Isolde's eyes flickered to briefly look at him, before returning to Salem.
"Confused. The damage to the Chamber is not extensive, thus the servitor golems should be able to repair the facility as per usual. No anomalies or substantial irregularities are preventing the Chamber from being restored through standard procedures." She explained. The only reason the golems hadn't been starting repairing the facility proper once they were started back up was simply because the necessary materials weren't present in the COIN itself. With the ESPER Wings now on their way to pillage retrieve resources from the Chateau stockpiles, it was only a matter of time before the restoration could commence. Thus, Isolde's head turned back to look at Rodias.
"Estimation. Time to repair Chamber is calculated to be less than 24 hours. Suggestion. It would be beneficial to explain the compelx situation previously mentioned to this unit, so as to get a better grasp of the current predicament." The little gynoid spoke, obviously wanting to know just what the heck was going on. After all, the poor thing had spent almost 6 years asleep, then wakes up to find that everyone has vanished and their home is now somewhere else, with only one Creator left standing. Needless to say, she might be curious about the whole ordeal.
Rodias would first begin thinking of what needed to be recounted. Isolde seemed very blunt, so any unnecessary details ought to be skipped over. Turning his gaze down to Isolde, before instead choosing to kneel down to be on eye level, Rodias would explain: "To be brief... we're no longer in YGGDRASIL..." giving Isolde all the details she needed to know, as well as any details that were important that had come up prior to him arriving in her Chapter.
"Understood." The automaton said, again plainly and bluntly. At this point, Rodias and Salem noticed the ten ESPERs return, each holding a crate with supplies in their arms. As soon as they sat the boxes down on the floor, the golems of the Chamber seemed to stop momentarily, then turned in unison towards the newly arrived materials... And then, as if racing each ohter, began to lumber towards the fresh resources, grinding and groaning as their metallic bodies hurried towards the things they needed to perform their tasks. The ESPERs quietly and effortlessly moved out of the way, returning to the dais where Rodias, Salem and Isolde were.
"Repairs commencing. Expelling distrations for maximum efficacy." Isolde said, unceremoniously. At that point, Salem would be grabbed by one of the ESPERs, without a word, being held like a teddy bear against her chest. Meanwhile, Rodias would find himself hoisted into the air by three of them, carrying him as if he was crowd-surfing. The four ESPERs then proceeded to take their guests to the COIN's exit, where they were summarily deposited, and given nothing but a curt wave of the Isolde-look-a-likes, before they returned to the Chamber, as the sound of clanking and buzzing and sparking and crackling could be heard growing in volume from the now laboring servitors.
Once Mamoru finally had reached the top of the tower, after cliimbing the rather steep and numerous steps leading up the structure's interiro, she found herself seeing a peculiar sight. Sitting in the courtyard, infront of the shrine proper, was Ashara in her partial fox-form, having at some point changed back to her regular appearance. She was sitting on her knees, with hands folded in her lap, while three others stood infront of her. In the center was Mikoto, the golden-blonde fox with three tails and short hair, currently with one hand on hert her waist and the other raised infront of her with the index-finger pointing upwards as if to make a point. Flanking this one were two much samller miko, one with red hair and cat ears and a tail, the other with light brown hair and weasel ears and a tail. They looked to be very young, only around 9 years old or so, and they had their arms folded and crossed infront of their chests, trying to look stern and imposing. it failed quite spectacularly though, since they only managed to look adorable.
Mikoto, on the other hand, had a very clear veing showing on her temple, and she was furiously scolding her superior, wagging the finger and her three tails moving about in a mess behind her. Asharea, on the other hand, looked apologetic and small, with her nine tails slouched on the ground and her ears flopping to the sides, as if she was deeply asahmed.
When Mamoru used her technique to sneak up behind, and launch herself into the mess of tails belonging to the white fox, Ashara let out an audible 'Hyaah~!?', obviously having been too distracted by Mikoto's lecturing and scolding to even pick up on the presence of her uninvited friend. At the sound of the Wandering Executiner's yelp, all three of the girls infront of her stopped and craned their necks to look behind the now-molested Ashara. The two childrens' faces lit up, as did their eyes, while Mikoto let out a sigh and laid her palm upon her own forehead.
"It's the lazy-maid!"
"Lazy-maid came to visit! Yaaay~" The kids were very excited, clearly.
"Ah... Miss Mamoru, could you wait a minute, please? I'm having a talk with Lady Ashara right now an-"
"Miss Mamoruuuu..." Ashara turned her head, eyes teary and face very sad. "Mikoto is telling at me...."
"And why do you think that is, huh!?" The blonde fox leaned in closer, pressing her finger against Ashara's cheek and roughly rubbing it. "You get summoned to a meeting in the dead of night, get sent on a mission in an unknown, uncharted world and you didn't even come back to the shrine and tell us about it until after you get bakc!"
"I do not see the pr-"
"What if something had happened to you out there, you big dummy!? We wouldn't have known where you went or what to do! How do you think the girls would feel if you suddenly up and vanished, huuuuuh?" More finger-to-cheek pressing, followed by cheek-pinching and stretching.
"I- I am sshoooooory!" Ashara pleaded.
Meanwhile, the red-headed cat-miko, Akiko, and the light brown-haired wereweasel, Noriko, were tugging at the hem of Mamoru's skirt.
"Lazy-maid, Lazy-maid! You so strong, right?" The cat asked.
"You can smash the mountains, right?" The werewasel questioned.
"And you two! Stop bothering Miss Mamoru, she's our guest!" Mikoto yelled at her excited juniors.
"Boo, boo!" They replied in unison, hugging Mamoru's legs and sticking out their tongues in rebellious fashion.
Mamoru almost didn't care about the lecturing that Ashara was getting, but she did care because Ashara always had the cutest underlings. It almost made Mamoru jealous as her skeletal servants weren't nearly as adorable, however they were still nice in their own, earnest way. As the two younger miko played around Mamoru's legs, she simply curled up in Ashara's tails, patting the girls on the head as she made herself comfortable. "Please don't be too hard on her, Miss Mikoto. Lord Rodias had given us direct orders, and you know that we must follow his orders immediately." Crawling to hug Ashara from behind while better immersing herself in Ashara's tails, she looked at Mikoto with a wink. "Besides, Ashara is able to go on these sort of secret sudden missions because she has a cute and responsible young maiden like you. Ooooh I'm so jealous, Ashara has the best people working with her while all I have are skeleton servants. Sure they don't complain when I tell them to do dirty jobs, but I can't really expect them to do my jobs either..." Mamoru continued to nuzzle and enjoy her time in Ashara's fluffiness.
Lounging against the chapter lord, Mamoru did give Mikoto a slightly serious look. "I mean, I'm sure you know that we've been transported into another world, yes? This is no longer Yggdrasil. A mysterious and unknown place... Of all of the Chapter Keepers here, Mistress Ashara is naturally the best person to send to seek out information. Her magic allows her to blend in with anyone, and her natural charms is basically brainwashing without magic. Lord Rodias needed Mistress Ashara you see, not someone like me who's lazy and only good for fighting. So please don't be too harsh on Mistress Ashara. She's very important, not just to you and the shrine, but everyone else in the Chateau."
At the mention of her family being 'the best', Ashara's ears rose slightly and Mamoru could feel her many tails thump happily. The kids, who were now also rustling and rummaging through the many fluffy tails, chirped and chanted 'We're the ebst!' over and over. Mikoto just turned her head to the side, a slight tinge of red on her cheeks as she bashfully folded her arms into her own sleeves.
At the mention of Ashara being important to everyone in the Chateau, both of the younger girls called out with a 'Riiiiiiiiiight~?' in perfect, harmonic unison, while Mikoto averted her eyes to the ground, mumbling something along the lines of 'I know...' in response.
However...
Once Mamoru finished talking, both Mikoto and Ashara had turned their heads to look at the dragonoid. Their expressions were... Complicated. A mix of confusion, surprise and inquiry. The two then spoke, in almost perfect unison, at the same time.
"Miss Mamoru, I am not a Chapter Keeper..."
"Miss Mamoru, Lady Ashara isn't a Chapter Keeper..."
The two blinked, unsure as to how Mamoru could have made that mistake. After all, the Chapters were the central, main floors of the Chateau. Minor areas like Gromgard's goblin hive, Flan's kitchen or even Aurora's temple weren't considered Chapters of their own. The two kids laughed though, obviously amused by their elders befuddlement, or by Mamoru's total brain-fart.
"Lazy-maid's getting old~!"
Lazy-maid's going senile~!"
"Do not be rude, I am sure Miss Mamoru is just a bit tired from having to tend to Chateau after having chased down those runaway goblins earlier." Ashara said, lightly scolding her two, rude little miscreants.
At that point, another fox-girl, this one with light blue hair tied in a very long ponytail, and only two tails, came up and approached Mikoto. This one looked to be only slightly younger than Ashara and Mikoto, perhaps in her mid-teens. She whispered something to the golden-haired fox, who sighed in response, then marched over to Ashara's side and stuck her hands into the mess of girls and tails. With a fierce tug, she pulled the two girls out by their collars and dragged them away, while they in turn were kicking and screaming in protest.
"If you don't do your chores, you don't get to play." She said, very motherly.
"Waaah! But we did'em already!"
"Then why is Kyoko saying you haven't?"
"Kyoko you tattle-tell! Traitor! Sell-oput! Flat-chest!" The two cried in a chorus as Mikoto dragged them away towards the shrine, with Kyoko trailing behind them, giggling with a balled hand infront of her mouth. As the four of them vanished back into the shrine, Ashara finally rose from her kneeling position, though her tails were still gently sweeping across and snaking around Mamoru.
"Thank you." She said, looking back at Mamoru with a sweet smile. "It is nice to hear such lofty praise, even if I am undeserving of it." She said humbly. Still, she had a slightly curious look in her eye. "Did something happen while you and the General were out hunting his lost goblins? You seem a bit... Drained?" She asked, tilting her head.
Mamoru blushed a little when she was reminded that Ashara was not, in fact, a Chapter Keeper. Though she maintains the shrine her duties were different from actual Chapter Lords. Even so, Mamoru felt that they still had great responsibilities. “True, you are not officially a Chapter Lord, but that doesn’t mean your duties are any less important. As the Roaming Executioner, I would say your duties in this new world is far more important now than it was in our old world. Indeed, the Chapter Lords must stay in their domains to maintain their businesses, but you? Why, you have the privilege to go anywhere Lord Rodias requires you.”
Mamoru seemed almost sadden as she sunk into Ashara’s fluff. “Conversely, my only duties are to maintain the Chateau, a task that never truly requires my actual attention. To be entirely frank with you, Mistress Ashara... I fear I will waste away into obscurity. Without my Creator I have no guidance, but Lord Rodias has others far more capable than myself to rely on when it comes to even menial tasks such as house keeping. I long for him to give me purpose but I cannot pretend that anything I can do could not simply be accomplished by our minions.”
Reaching around Mamoru lightly hugged Ashara. “Forgive me for being so pathetic. I can’t dare to show my true feelings to anyone else, to let anyone see the weakness in my otherwise unbreakable iron will. I will of course await Rodias’s commands as we all should... But in my heart, I yearn to serve more than just as a handmaiden.”
Ashara's tail wrapped around Mamoru as she spoke. Whenever she praised the fox, her tails would became more excited and forceful, however, when the unbeatable dragon-maid began to speak of her doubts, her fears and her apparent lack of confidence in her own worth, Ashara turned her head - still letting the dragonoid cling to and hug her from behind - and looked at her friend with sad eyes.
"Please do not say such things." Her voice was also very sad, as if she had just been struck across the face. "If you could be so easily replaced, tehn so could I, or any of the Chapter Keepers. Your duties are no less important than any other, and your worth is no less than anyone else." Ashara said, voice soft but serious. "Everyone at the Chateau serve a purpose and a role, and every role is, at least to me, an important part of our home." She reached back with one hand and touched Mamoru's cheek. "So please, my dear friend, do not say such awful things about yourslef, it makes my heart ache to see you so sad." Ashara looked at her friend, obviously melancholic.
But then, something changed and her tails went stiff, her eyes shot up wide and her expression change to look like she had just had a bolt of lightning strike her head.
"Why not ask Lord Rodias to give you a task outside the Chateau? I am certain one of your body-doubles could take care of things while you were out. After all, you and General Gromgard did go hunt his missing goblins, and that worked out well for you both, yes?" Ashara was now very excited for, what she believed, was a brilliant idea on her part. "Lady Kath accompanied me to the village below earlier today, yet she is most often stays in her chapter. So..." She continued. "That means you should be allowed to undertake similar missions, I am sure our Lord would approve if you offered!" Her tails were in full wagging mode again.
Mamoru felt a hint of warmth as Ashara comforted her both physically and emotionally, but Mamoru still couldn’t help but feel that her words were sweet nothings. Mamoru knew even her existence as the Head Maid wasn’t done with any earnest by her creator, he simply assigned her the role due to aesthetics alone. She knew she was unfit for her position but dared not question her creator’s intentions.
But then Mamoru heard Ashara say something that she didn’t expect: to ask Rodias to give her work. Mamoru wasn’t sure if she should feel stupid for n out thinking of that, or concerned that Ashara would even suggest it. “Mistress Ashara! I cannot simply ask him to assign such tasks to me, it is not my place for a maid to tell the master how to use her! But... But you are right, I did enjoy the task he gave me and wish he would use me more. I... I had merely wondered if perhaps there was something I could do here that would get his attention.”
Mamoru sat up from Ashara’s tails and sat a little bit away to think. “I of course will volunteer to do whatever it is he asks me to do. And indeed I can certainly leave a copy of myself here to oversee my regular duties... Though admittedly if I did that, I fear my copy will grow bored and particularly slothful, knowing that I enjoy an adventure while she continues a monotonous existence in my stead.” Mamoru then hand and idea and looked shyly at Ashara.
“Though... I do have an idea for that as well...”
Ashara had shifted to sit on her knees, as she usually did, but now facing Mamoru. Hertails wagged excitedly, betraying her calm, serene face that showed little more than a slight smile at her noticing er friend having perked up.
"Oh? Is that so? That is wonderful." She said. "Please, let me know if there is anything I can do aid you." The fox offered generously.
“Weeeeeell,” Mamoru clasped her hands together. “My copies are much like me, and enjoy both lounging about and getting rewarded for their work. So perhaps if I leave a clone here, once her duties for the day are finished, you would allow her to visit the shrine so that she may enjoy your comfort, or the embrace of your lovely maidens. It is a luxury I myself wish to partake essentially all the time, but alas what few responsibilities I have take precedence over my worldly desires.”
The Iron Maiden smiled bashfully, knowing that she was asking for quite a bit. Normally Mamoru’s affections were limited to Ashara herself, as the vast differences in power and authority between Mamoru and Ashara’s minions were vast, and it would make for very unfortunate implications if Mamoru abuses that difference to have her way with Ashara’s priestesses. “Naturally of course, I only ask for those who consent. I’ve no doubt that my copy will make the most of the opportunity provided to her. But as long as she has that opportunity, I know she will do her upmost best on my behalf, with both of us living vicariously through one another.”
"Eh?" Ashara let out an uncharacteristically strange noise, blinking a few times. Then, placed a hand over her mouth and closed her eyes. "Ufufufu~ If that is all you need, I would be happy to oblige. Whether it be you who comes to visit in person, or be it your double, you are both still Miss Mamoru after all." Ashara laughed. "I am certain the others here would treat her just as they treat you, as would I. So there is no need to be worried, you and all of your yous are always welcome here at the Shrine, my dear friend." Ashara said, smiling warmly with both mouth and eyes.
Mamoru smiles warmly as she ounces forward and laid in Ashara’s lap. “Thank you Ashara. It’s good to know that despite all of this... Madness, I can rely on you. After all that has happened you are a much needed pillar of stability for me. Perhaps even for all of the Chateau.” She looked up and reached out to caress Ashara’s face.
“By the way, how was your mission? I’m excited to know what is out there.”
"Well, it was-"
Unfortunately, beofre Ashara could say more, a voice called to the two from over by the shrine. It was Mikoto, apparently done with whatever it was she had dragged the cubs off to do earlier. She was waving and calling for them.
"Lady Ashara! Miss Mamoru! We've finished preparing lunch! Come join us!" She called. Ashara simply smiled.
"Goodness, that time already? Let us go, we can dine together with everyone, and I can tell you all about my and Lady Kath's trip." Ashara said, rising and gently grabbing Mamoru's hand, pulling her along to share a meal with herself and all the other priestesses.
Mikoto, on the other hand, had a very clear veing showing on her temple, and she was furiously scolding her superior, wagging the finger and her three tails moving about in a mess behind her. Asharea, on the other hand, looked apologetic and small, with her nine tails slouched on the ground and her ears flopping to the sides, as if she was deeply asahmed.
When Mamoru used her technique to sneak up behind, and launch herself into the mess of tails belonging to the white fox, Ashara let out an audible 'Hyaah~!?', obviously having been too distracted by Mikoto's lecturing and scolding to even pick up on the presence of her uninvited friend. At the sound of the Wandering Executiner's yelp, all three of the girls infront of her stopped and craned their necks to look behind the now-molested Ashara. The two childrens' faces lit up, as did their eyes, while Mikoto let out a sigh and laid her palm upon her own forehead.
"It's the lazy-maid!"
"Lazy-maid came to visit! Yaaay~" The kids were very excited, clearly.
"Ah... Miss Mamoru, could you wait a minute, please? I'm having a talk with Lady Ashara right now an-"
"Miss Mamoruuuu..." Ashara turned her head, eyes teary and face very sad. "Mikoto is telling at me...."
"And why do you think that is, huh!?" The blonde fox leaned in closer, pressing her finger against Ashara's cheek and roughly rubbing it. "You get summoned to a meeting in the dead of night, get sent on a mission in an unknown, uncharted world and you didn't even come back to the shrine and tell us about it until after you get bakc!"
"I do not see the pr-"
"What if something had happened to you out there, you big dummy!? We wouldn't have known where you went or what to do! How do you think the girls would feel if you suddenly up and vanished, huuuuuh?" More finger-to-cheek pressing, followed by cheek-pinching and stretching.
"I- I am sshoooooory!" Ashara pleaded.
Meanwhile, the red-headed cat-miko, Akiko, and the light brown-haired wereweasel, Noriko, were tugging at the hem of Mamoru's skirt.
"Lazy-maid, Lazy-maid! You so strong, right?" The cat asked.
"You can smash the mountains, right?" The werewasel questioned.
"And you two! Stop bothering Miss Mamoru, she's our guest!" Mikoto yelled at her excited juniors.
"Boo, boo!" They replied in unison, hugging Mamoru's legs and sticking out their tongues in rebellious fashion.
Mamoru almost didn't care about the lecturing that Ashara was getting, but she did care because Ashara always had the cutest underlings. It almost made Mamoru jealous as her skeletal servants weren't nearly as adorable, however they were still nice in their own, earnest way. As the two younger miko played around Mamoru's legs, she simply curled up in Ashara's tails, patting the girls on the head as she made herself comfortable. "Please don't be too hard on her, Miss Mikoto. Lord Rodias had given us direct orders, and you know that we must follow his orders immediately." Crawling to hug Ashara from behind while better immersing herself in Ashara's tails, she looked at Mikoto with a wink. "Besides, Ashara is able to go on these sort of secret sudden missions because she has a cute and responsible young maiden like you. Ooooh I'm so jealous, Ashara has the best people working with her while all I have are skeleton servants. Sure they don't complain when I tell them to do dirty jobs, but I can't really expect them to do my jobs either..." Mamoru continued to nuzzle and enjoy her time in Ashara's fluffiness.
Lounging against the chapter lord, Mamoru did give Mikoto a slightly serious look. "I mean, I'm sure you know that we've been transported into another world, yes? This is no longer Yggdrasil. A mysterious and unknown place... Of all of the Chapter Keepers here, Mistress Ashara is naturally the best person to send to seek out information. Her magic allows her to blend in with anyone, and her natural charms is basically brainwashing without magic. Lord Rodias needed Mistress Ashara you see, not someone like me who's lazy and only good for fighting. So please don't be too harsh on Mistress Ashara. She's very important, not just to you and the shrine, but everyone else in the Chateau."
At the mention of her family being 'the best', Ashara's ears rose slightly and Mamoru could feel her many tails thump happily. The kids, who were now also rustling and rummaging through the many fluffy tails, chirped and chanted 'We're the ebst!' over and over. Mikoto just turned her head to the side, a slight tinge of red on her cheeks as she bashfully folded her arms into her own sleeves.
At the mention of Ashara being important to everyone in the Chateau, both of the younger girls called out with a 'Riiiiiiiiiight~?' in perfect, harmonic unison, while Mikoto averted her eyes to the ground, mumbling something along the lines of 'I know...' in response.
However...
Once Mamoru finished talking, both Mikoto and Ashara had turned their heads to look at the dragonoid. Their expressions were... Complicated. A mix of confusion, surprise and inquiry. The two then spoke, in almost perfect unison, at the same time.
"Miss Mamoru, I am not a Chapter Keeper..."
"Miss Mamoru, Lady Ashara isn't a Chapter Keeper..."
The two blinked, unsure as to how Mamoru could have made that mistake. After all, the Chapters were the central, main floors of the Chateau. Minor areas like Gromgard's goblin hive, Flan's kitchen or even Aurora's temple weren't considered Chapters of their own. The two kids laughed though, obviously amused by their elders befuddlement, or by Mamoru's total brain-fart.
"Lazy-maid's getting old~!"
Lazy-maid's going senile~!"
"Do not be rude, I am sure Miss Mamoru is just a bit tired from having to tend to Chateau after having chased down those runaway goblins earlier." Ashara said, lightly scolding her two, rude little miscreants.
At that point, another fox-girl, this one with light blue hair tied in a very long ponytail, and only two tails, came up and approached Mikoto. This one looked to be only slightly younger than Ashara and Mikoto, perhaps in her mid-teens. She whispered something to the golden-haired fox, who sighed in response, then marched over to Ashara's side and stuck her hands into the mess of girls and tails. With a fierce tug, she pulled the two girls out by their collars and dragged them away, while they in turn were kicking and screaming in protest.
"If you don't do your chores, you don't get to play." She said, very motherly.
"Waaah! But we did'em already!"
"Then why is Kyoko saying you haven't?"
"Kyoko you tattle-tell! Traitor! Sell-oput! Flat-chest!" The two cried in a chorus as Mikoto dragged them away towards the shrine, with Kyoko trailing behind them, giggling with a balled hand infront of her mouth. As the four of them vanished back into the shrine, Ashara finally rose from her kneeling position, though her tails were still gently sweeping across and snaking around Mamoru.
"Thank you." She said, looking back at Mamoru with a sweet smile. "It is nice to hear such lofty praise, even if I am undeserving of it." She said humbly. Still, she had a slightly curious look in her eye. "Did something happen while you and the General were out hunting his lost goblins? You seem a bit... Drained?" She asked, tilting her head.
Mamoru blushed a little when she was reminded that Ashara was not, in fact, a Chapter Keeper. Though she maintains the shrine her duties were different from actual Chapter Lords. Even so, Mamoru felt that they still had great responsibilities. “True, you are not officially a Chapter Lord, but that doesn’t mean your duties are any less important. As the Roaming Executioner, I would say your duties in this new world is far more important now than it was in our old world. Indeed, the Chapter Lords must stay in their domains to maintain their businesses, but you? Why, you have the privilege to go anywhere Lord Rodias requires you.”
Mamoru seemed almost sadden as she sunk into Ashara’s fluff. “Conversely, my only duties are to maintain the Chateau, a task that never truly requires my actual attention. To be entirely frank with you, Mistress Ashara... I fear I will waste away into obscurity. Without my Creator I have no guidance, but Lord Rodias has others far more capable than myself to rely on when it comes to even menial tasks such as house keeping. I long for him to give me purpose but I cannot pretend that anything I can do could not simply be accomplished by our minions.”
Reaching around Mamoru lightly hugged Ashara. “Forgive me for being so pathetic. I can’t dare to show my true feelings to anyone else, to let anyone see the weakness in my otherwise unbreakable iron will. I will of course await Rodias’s commands as we all should... But in my heart, I yearn to serve more than just as a handmaiden.”
Ashara's tail wrapped around Mamoru as she spoke. Whenever she praised the fox, her tails would became more excited and forceful, however, when the unbeatable dragon-maid began to speak of her doubts, her fears and her apparent lack of confidence in her own worth, Ashara turned her head - still letting the dragonoid cling to and hug her from behind - and looked at her friend with sad eyes.
"Please do not say such things." Her voice was also very sad, as if she had just been struck across the face. "If you could be so easily replaced, tehn so could I, or any of the Chapter Keepers. Your duties are no less important than any other, and your worth is no less than anyone else." Ashara said, voice soft but serious. "Everyone at the Chateau serve a purpose and a role, and every role is, at least to me, an important part of our home." She reached back with one hand and touched Mamoru's cheek. "So please, my dear friend, do not say such awful things about yourslef, it makes my heart ache to see you so sad." Ashara looked at her friend, obviously melancholic.
But then, something changed and her tails went stiff, her eyes shot up wide and her expression change to look like she had just had a bolt of lightning strike her head.
"Why not ask Lord Rodias to give you a task outside the Chateau? I am certain one of your body-doubles could take care of things while you were out. After all, you and General Gromgard did go hunt his missing goblins, and that worked out well for you both, yes?" Ashara was now very excited for, what she believed, was a brilliant idea on her part. "Lady Kath accompanied me to the village below earlier today, yet she is most often stays in her chapter. So..." She continued. "That means you should be allowed to undertake similar missions, I am sure our Lord would approve if you offered!" Her tails were in full wagging mode again.
Mamoru felt a hint of warmth as Ashara comforted her both physically and emotionally, but Mamoru still couldn’t help but feel that her words were sweet nothings. Mamoru knew even her existence as the Head Maid wasn’t done with any earnest by her creator, he simply assigned her the role due to aesthetics alone. She knew she was unfit for her position but dared not question her creator’s intentions.
But then Mamoru heard Ashara say something that she didn’t expect: to ask Rodias to give her work. Mamoru wasn’t sure if she should feel stupid for n out thinking of that, or concerned that Ashara would even suggest it. “Mistress Ashara! I cannot simply ask him to assign such tasks to me, it is not my place for a maid to tell the master how to use her! But... But you are right, I did enjoy the task he gave me and wish he would use me more. I... I had merely wondered if perhaps there was something I could do here that would get his attention.”
Mamoru sat up from Ashara’s tails and sat a little bit away to think. “I of course will volunteer to do whatever it is he asks me to do. And indeed I can certainly leave a copy of myself here to oversee my regular duties... Though admittedly if I did that, I fear my copy will grow bored and particularly slothful, knowing that I enjoy an adventure while she continues a monotonous existence in my stead.” Mamoru then hand and idea and looked shyly at Ashara.
“Though... I do have an idea for that as well...”
Ashara had shifted to sit on her knees, as she usually did, but now facing Mamoru. Hertails wagged excitedly, betraying her calm, serene face that showed little more than a slight smile at her noticing er friend having perked up.
"Oh? Is that so? That is wonderful." She said. "Please, let me know if there is anything I can do aid you." The fox offered generously.
“Weeeeeell,” Mamoru clasped her hands together. “My copies are much like me, and enjoy both lounging about and getting rewarded for their work. So perhaps if I leave a clone here, once her duties for the day are finished, you would allow her to visit the shrine so that she may enjoy your comfort, or the embrace of your lovely maidens. It is a luxury I myself wish to partake essentially all the time, but alas what few responsibilities I have take precedence over my worldly desires.”
The Iron Maiden smiled bashfully, knowing that she was asking for quite a bit. Normally Mamoru’s affections were limited to Ashara herself, as the vast differences in power and authority between Mamoru and Ashara’s minions were vast, and it would make for very unfortunate implications if Mamoru abuses that difference to have her way with Ashara’s priestesses. “Naturally of course, I only ask for those who consent. I’ve no doubt that my copy will make the most of the opportunity provided to her. But as long as she has that opportunity, I know she will do her upmost best on my behalf, with both of us living vicariously through one another.”
"Eh?" Ashara let out an uncharacteristically strange noise, blinking a few times. Then, placed a hand over her mouth and closed her eyes. "Ufufufu~ If that is all you need, I would be happy to oblige. Whether it be you who comes to visit in person, or be it your double, you are both still Miss Mamoru after all." Ashara laughed. "I am certain the others here would treat her just as they treat you, as would I. So there is no need to be worried, you and all of your yous are always welcome here at the Shrine, my dear friend." Ashara said, smiling warmly with both mouth and eyes.
Mamoru smiles warmly as she ounces forward and laid in Ashara’s lap. “Thank you Ashara. It’s good to know that despite all of this... Madness, I can rely on you. After all that has happened you are a much needed pillar of stability for me. Perhaps even for all of the Chateau.” She looked up and reached out to caress Ashara’s face.
“By the way, how was your mission? I’m excited to know what is out there.”
"Well, it was-"
Unfortunately, beofre Ashara could say more, a voice called to the two from over by the shrine. It was Mikoto, apparently done with whatever it was she had dragged the cubs off to do earlier. She was waving and calling for them.
"Lady Ashara! Miss Mamoru! We've finished preparing lunch! Come join us!" She called. Ashara simply smiled.
"Goodness, that time already? Let us go, we can dine together with everyone, and I can tell you all about my and Lady Kath's trip." Ashara said, rising and gently grabbing Mamoru's hand, pulling her along to share a meal with herself and all the other priestesses.
Rodias' boots clicked against the stone floor of the chamber he was in, approaching a gargantuan black door that, upon his approach began to whisper.
"What name had the God of Hubris?" it questioned in twinned voices, both male and female speaking in unison from within the genderless blockage.
Rodias wouldn't stop walking forward, nearly slamming his face into the door before the Sable Lord whispered quietly, replying back with: "Icarus," the answer to which caused the door to swing inward upon itself, granting the vampire passage into the Wishing Well proper.
He had seen the corpse of a butler to the side of the door...the usual consequence of failing to answer the door's question. Well, that explained why she never came. "Charme," Rodias would call aloud.
As Rodias walked through the open door, that soundlessly closed behind him, he could feel a slight sensation. As if he had walked through a thin layer of water, thinner than a sheet of paper and barely perceivable, yet still possible to be noticed to those with keen senses. The hallway he walked through, leading into the Wishing Well proper, was largely unlit, with only the brick-laid walls and stone flooring offering any company to the lonesome Sable Lord as he made his approach.
Once he got close to his destination however, Rodias would finally be able to distinguish some sources of light. More specifically, hovering globes of yellow flame, inaudibly floating carelessly in the air, clinging close to the walls. They were no larger than a ripe orange, and their luminence was on par with a weak lgiht bulb, still, there were quite a few of them spread out throgh the interior. The well itself, on the other hand, had adopted the appearance of a very large study. A thick and wide desk, several bookcases, cabinets and drawers lined the walls, whereas there were only only three chairs. One, a large and comfortable-looking armchair, which was currenly occupied, and two regular, unremarkable cushioned wooden chairs. All three were set up around the desk, with the lone, occupied chair on one side and the two empty on the opposite end.
In the occupied seat, sat a woman. Long, lustrous hair that glitterd like silver in the faint light, fair unblemished skin, a pair of gem-like blue eyes that calmly focused on a small book held in a delicate, femenine hand infront of the woman. Dressed in an elegant, yet provocative dress, that showcased not only her shoulders but also an ample amount of her rather considerable rack, she sat with legs crossed and resting her head upon the hand of her free arm while reading the tiny booklet she held. At Rodias' call though, the book was lowered slowly and her head turned to gaze up towards the entrance of the room, just in time to see the Sable Lord enter.
"Well now." She said with a soft, velvety voice, a pleasant, practiced smile spreading across her face. "If it isn't Rodias. What brings you to these parts of the woods? I don't believe I've had to enertain a guest for..." She trailed off for a bit. "... A very, very long time."
She made no effort to get up and out of her seat, no motion to show respect or humility, and spoke no words of fealty or servile formality. Instead, she seemed rather calm and unassuming, greeting the dhampir Lord of the Chateau as she would greet an old friend or acquaintence.
Rodias would approach at his own pace, not particularly in a rush for the business at hand as he took a seat upon one of the wooden chairs, resting one of his legs atop his knee as he responded to her query with: "Unfortunately, its to bring some measure of news. I would say that its bad, but...I doubt the idea of never seeing another Sable Lord except for me means much to you. There was a summons, but...it seems I forgot to give the butler the password to your door. I also come asking a favor. One suited to your talents."
Once he had said that, Rodias would begin relaying the situation outside to Charme, noting specifically that this meant she may have to treat all her alchemical supplies as very finite given that the new world likely wouldn't contain even a single mushroom or blade of grass present in her alchemy.
Once Rodias finished his explanation, Charme gently placed the tiny book she had been holding down onto the desk infront of the two, closing its cover. She had raised an eyebrow, and her smile had gone away, but she didn't seem particularly disturbed or shocked to learn of the events and apparen dire situation that the Chateau now found itself in. Instead, she reached her now freed hand down to a drawer of the desk and retrieved her sleek, slender pipe, placing it upon the flat surface of the desk next to the little booklet.
"That would explain a few things, I suppose." She answered thoughtfully."I guess the more prudent thing to ask next would be what it was you wanted from me... But, tell me, how're the kids handlijng this ... Transition?" She asked, apparently implying that the other members of the Chateau were mere children in her eyes.. Or perhaps that she and Rodias were the mommy and daddy of the Castle? It was hard to tell given her currently calm, neutral expression.
Rodias would consider that for a moment, poising his hand under his chin as he recounted each Chateau member's efforts.
"By and large, they're managing it well. Chuunitrixx is expanding the Chateau's reach rapidly, Isolde has only been online for a few hours now but is managing well. Kath got to take a trip down to a nearby village with Mamoru, and seemed excited to learn and explore. Oz hasn't moved much, but seemed excited to experiment with new materials. Graft is eager to innovate, and Salem is...well, I haven't really managed to figure out how he's taking all of this. But, he seems to not be in a panic over it. Mamoru, Gromgard, Light, Ashara, Kaldorna, Bone Daddy, and Zouyu have all shown themselves to be loyal even in these tense times. And, Flan's cooking is as delicious as ever. Overall, they're handling it fantastically," Rodias would say as he straightened his back up, observing Charme. "...If you need some time to process this information, I can come back later. I understand that its a lot to take in all at once."
Rodias knew exactly the kind of person that PowderPlaguePuff was...personally, he'd never been a fan of him. Nor did he ever think he was really all that big of a deal amongst the Chateau's masters. But he understood well that any creation of his could be a potent ally to have, and, despite Charme's apparent lack of any particular interest or great deal of loyalty, having her alchemical prowess was essential in the long run.
"Hmm... You don't say~?" Charme replied, after hearing the Sablke Lord recount the doings and dealings of her peers. At some point during Rodias' speech, she had slipped the pipe into her mouth, filled it and lit it, though exactly when she did all this seemed to be a blur. Taking a drag from the smoking instrument, she let out a thin jet of white smoke, being careful to face away from Rodias so as to not blow smoke in his face - a small sign of courtesy and manners on her part. When the dhampir mentioned her needing time to accept the current situation though, a playful smile crept over her lips.
"That's sweet, but don't you fret, dear. Whether my rooster, or any of the other ladies and gents of our esteemed leaders, are gone and missing, that doesn't really make much difference to me, now does it?" She said, apparently bemused, and waving her hand in a casually dismissive fashion. Also, apparnetly she thought of PowderPlaguePuff as a farm-bird... "Now then, what can I do for you, dear? You did say you had some work for me, yes?" She inquired, letting out another thin jet of smoke away from Rdoias, her eyes locked with him and a friendly smile on her face.
Rodias was thankful that Charme seemed like a mentally strong person. Either that, or she just genuinely didn't care where she was, so long as she was alive and able to do her craft, or read her books. He also saw that she didn't seem particularly loyal to any of the Sable Lords, even her own creator, but at least had the common courtesy to blow her smoke away from him, as he'd expect she'd do for anybody that wasn't disrespecting her. Thinking of how to poise his question, Rodias would say: "Tell me Charme; Your stock of potions...do you happen to have any potions that allows someone to change their appearance? In addition, I'd like a general inventory of all of your stock."
The woman blinked once, then put her pipe down upon the desk's flat surface again. Using both hands, she pushed herself up and out of her chair, though as she did so, she also leaned forward slightly, meaning Rodias got a good look at her cleavage as she got up.
"One moment." She said, now standing. With flowing, graceful movments, almost as if she was floating, the homunculi walked over to one of the bookcases. At this time, Rodias would also notice just how snug her dress was, tightly hugging and clinging to her shapely, supple body and showing off her curves and features rather prominently. It also begged the question as to how this piece of fabric defied physiscs, as from what Rodias could tell, the lack of shoulder-straps should have meant that her rather prominent melons would have spilled uut long ago, not to mention the fact that she obviously wasn't wearing a brassier.
That tidbit aside, the silver-haired vixen retrieved a small ledger from the shelf she was at, before walking back to the Sable Lord, standing next to him while flipping through the pages, eyes scanning from left to right in a meticulous, rehearsed and well-practiced manner, quickly reading through the scribbles etched within the pages.
"I've got some Potions of Genderswap, six of them in total. I also have some flasks of Christmas Celebration, Easter Euphoria and a dozen Vanity Tinctures." She read aloud. "I think the Tinctures are what you're after, sweetie. They're the kind that let's you alter your appearance, though I'd strongly recommend against it - we don't know if there're any side-effects in this new world after all." She warned, looking up from her ledger and at Rodias, a placid but serious look to her face. She then returned to reading the book, listing all the current stock she had.
Though, apart from ordinary and general-purpose potions, such as MP and HP potions of various strength, some stat-boosting elixirs, rejuvination potions and a bunch of different bombs and venoms, it really didn't seem like Charme had all that much in store. This of course was the direct result of her creator's insistance on the other members of Bandersnatchers bringing their own supplies to trade with Charme if they wanted her services. This meant that people who did visit the alchemist did so only when they needed potions for themselvs, and due to this, there was almost no back-log or overflow of supplies for her to stock. Finishing the inventory, she closed the ledger and looked at Rodias.
"In case you're curious." She said, smiling wryly. "The Genderswap drinks don't change your appeaarane, just whether you've got a cave or a tree downstairs." She seemed very amused by this for some reason. "Also, the Christmas and Easter potions do change your appearance, though only for about an hour or so, and they turn you into either a fat, bearded man with a red suit, or a yellow man-sized rabbit with a basket, respectively." This too seemed to amuse her. Apparently, someone had stored holiday event items in her storerooms, for whatever reason..
Rodias was glad to hear that the Vanity Tinctures were intact, as those were the ones most specifically beneficial to his idea. Much as he figured a genderswapped version of himself would be good for a few laughs for some of the Chateau members, a green skinned seven foot tall vampire man was about as frightening to most as a green skinned seven foot tall vampire lady. ...Then again, knowing the people that he'd formed the guild with, someone would inevitably asked to be stepped on. Imagining that made Rodias physically shudder, eye twitching. The Christmas and Easter potions were fairly useless...but, perhaps it'd be good for a laugh at some point.
The supply of healing potions was limited, and he knew that beyond the inventories of the Chateau members themselves and the vault, their reserves were extremely limited. But, a dozen appearance change potions were a good start...even if there may be side effects. "I don't mind if there are side effects. Its better that we're made aware of any potential dangers now rather than later...As such, I'd like to ask for one of those Vanity Tinctures."
Rodias seemed resolved to do this, in spite of Charme's warning. Whatever plan he had, it seemed he couldn't look like himself to do it.
"It's your funeral." The alchemist said, still smiling wryly while shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. Apparently she had no qualms about her new Master taking risks that may or may not permanently cause him discomfort or issues in the future.
Snapping her fingers in the air, the woman simply stated the word 'Storeroom', aloud in a commanding and determined fashion. At once, Rodias became subject to just how the Wishing Well's power of change worked, as all around him, things took a turn for the surreal. The walls, furniture, floor and ceiling all turned to look like what one would see on a TV with no channel, static grain that just buzzed and flickered in nonsensical black, white and grey. In addition, the room felt as if it were turning, or perhaps spinning would be a more accurate description, making the dhampir lord feel like as if he was seated in one of those tea-cup atractions at an amusement park. Interestingly, the only thing that wasn't adjusting was the seat upon which Rodias still sat - it retained both its texture, form and feel when everything else was changing.
And then, just as soon as the bizarre metamorphing had begun, it stopped. But now, rather than a gloomy study with abundant space and thematic furniture, the pair found themselves in what looked to be a storage magazine. Rows upon rowas of neatly lined crates, chests, cabinets and drawers, with shelves that lined the walls all around them. Apart from Rodias' chair, that now sat square in the middle of the stone-tiled floor, next to some boxes, the only other remnants of the previous room were the hovering globes of light. Well, those and Charme, who looked as natural and unconcerned with the rapid space-shift as someone who had just opened a window.
Walking over the one of the shelves, one of the few that actually had glass flasks stacked on it, she reached her slender hand out and softly plucked a bottle from it. Inside was a strange, milky pink liquid that was more reminiscent of a fruity smoothie in texture, rather than any actual runny fluid. With the potion in hand, she returned to Rodias, extending the bottle to him.
"Here you go, love. One Vanity Tincture, I'd recommend drinking it while infront of a mirror, unless you want to leave things to random chance. Though I suppose I wouldn't mind seeing that..." She smirked a bit. "One more thing, Rodias." She added, holding a finger up as to emphasize her next words. "While this tincture does change your looks, it's not a permanent thing. Back in YGGDRASIL, these potions lasted about six to eight hours, depending on the quality." She explained. "So, if you plan on going somewhere far off, I'd urge you to drink it as late as possible, to get the most out of it."
Potion handed over, Charme took another drag from her pipe, placing her now free arm underneath her chest and on her abdomen, while letting out a puff of white smoke again - once more aimed away from Rodias.
"I don't suppose you mind telling me what you're planning to do with that, hm?" She asked, one eye closed and a curious smile on her lips.
Rodias would calmly wait out the room's metamorphosis, admittedly feeling his stomach lurch a bit as the room spun in its efforts to change into a store room. Upon being handed the pink potion, Rodias would uncork it, listening to Charme's instructions on the length of time it lasted, as well as her interest in seeing just what happened if it was done without a mirror. Chuckling, Rodias said: "I'd be willing to indulge your curiosity. I need to test its limitations before I even think of using it as I intend, after all.
Upon questioning what exactly he was intending, Rodias would answer with: "I'm going to 'invent' a persona. There is a village with a local lord that would best serve us to be...indisposed. I'll pose as a young relative of his, and I'll seize his assets, and bring the village under our control and protection," Rodias said before downing the potion in two gulps, figuring that whatever agony it would cause, having an alchemist in front of him would probably be for the best. After all, she might be able to help with anything going wrong better than anybody else.
"Oh~?" Charme's eyebrows lifted and there was a hint of sinister glee in her eyes as Rodias told her of his plan. "In that case, I'll be ha-" She stopped herself however, as she watched the Sable Lord down the potion infront her. Her, until now, pleasant expression changed to that of an infuriated mother as a visible vein appeared on her forehead.
"WHAT DID I JUST SAY, YOU OAF!?" She snarled furiously, pipe flying out of her mouth and, miraculously, onto one of the boxes next to Rodias. With a turn in her heel, she quickly moved to one of the cabinets and swung the doors open, rummaging around inside. Soon, she returned, holding a mirror that looked like it belonged in a bathroom, an oval-shaped thing with a simple wooden frame. It was big enough to let one see their own head and torso at the same time, at least if standing a bit away from it.
Holding it infront of her brainless Master, the homunculi let out an exasperated sigh. Meanwhile, Rodias would feel a strange sensation. It was like there were small, tiny bubbles rippling and sizzling under his skin, though it didn't feel itchy or unpleasant in any way, rather it felt a bit more like being tickled - from the inside. He also noted, as he looked at the mirror, that he was taking on a rather... Goopy... Appearance, to say the least. In fact, it sort of looked like he was melting a bit, a rather disturbing sight to be sure. Charme, however, remained - past outburst not withstanding - calm and focused.
"Picture it in your mind. Imagine what you want to look like, what color and length your hair is, the tone of your skin, tint of your eyes, the bushiness of your eyebrows. Your clothes, their color, their fabric, all of it. The more detailed, the better." She instructed.
Rodias would find that, as he imagined things within his mind's eye, the goopy, gooey, melting bits of his would began to swirl and move, taking on the forms, shapes and shades that he envisioned. Although, as time passed, he would find that the molding became slower and slower, more sluggish and difficult to precisely control. There was apparently a time-limit on how long one could spend making up their mind as what to look like.
Rodias was genuinely shocked at Charme's sudden outburst, blinking in confusion at the mirror as he saw his eyelid begin to practically melt. That...certainly wasn't good. He hadn't thought this would happen...though, once Charme started instructing him, Rodias' melting mass soon started to congeal into a new form, the likes of which was one that he knew better than his current one. The modest length of blonde hair on his head, the pale salmon colored flesh that replaced his former green, and the drop in height was all familiar to him as he resembled more and more his IRL appearance. The likes of which he hadn't seen in weeks. To Charme, all she knew was that it was a fairly average man she was looking at, the type that was a tad too pale to be a farm worker, and was generally less attractive than Rodias himself was. That wasn't to say he was unsightly...it was more that he himself was more...grounded in what a human looked like, rather than the perfection that came with being an MMO character. Admittedly, just due to personal biases and his self-image, he was a bit more handsome than he'd been in reality. But only as much as it suited the general aesthetic possible to be created by the Tincture. After all, an MMO couldn't suddenly change art styles to accommodate. At least, that's what he told himself.
Admittedly, the clothes themselves didn't change at all. It was as if they themselves resisted the colors and patterns attempting to be forced onto them, leaving Rodias in an ill-fitting suit of his rogue's armor, sitting before Charme. Chuckling slightly, he would say: "I'm surprised at how loudly you yelled at me. Thank you however for your assistance. Without you, I might be dead by now...or worse," Rodias said, standing and nearly tripping in his own shoes. flicking his knife around in his admittedly smaller hand, Rodias whistled. "Skills are all still functional. It seems that my stats are as well," he said, somehow able to ignore the fact that he was just seconds ago melting into a puddle of Rodias goo.
Charme sat the mirror down on the box, the one next to the one that her pipe had landed on. Looking over Rodias' new look, she eyed him up and down, arms folded under her chest, as if examening a pedigree pet or prize livestock. After a bit of silence, and allowing her Lord to speak and thank her, Charme let out a slight soft sigh and looked at him with aamusement.
"Aren't you looking cute? I could just eat you up." She said, coyly. "As for thanking me, don't worry. You wouldn't have died, you would've just ended up looking like a melted clay-figurine for a third of the day." She explained, smiling still. Apparently, the alchemist was fully aware just what would happen if someone didn't specify what they wanted to look like, but had neglected to tell her customer about this, either as a joke or something else. Still, her unwillingness to let either his bravado, or her potion, go to waste, it seemed she had intervened on his behalf to genuinely help him accomplish his goal in the end.
Letting out a slight laugh through her nose, the homunculi propped the little mirror up against the box and the floor, allowing it to lean on its own weight. She then moved on over to Rodias' side, locking arms with him and pulling him towards herself - his arm pressing against the side of her chest. She then looked at the mirror, with the two of them visible in it, and smirked with a playfully flirtatious face.
"Don't we look the happy couple?" She said, voice sweet as honey, while looking to Rodias through the corner of her eyes.
Rodias' human brain was immediately instructed to feel aroused, but thankfully just because he looked human didn't mean that he'd become human. Otherwise, he might very well have fallen straight for Charme then and there. Most men would, given her assets and flirtatious nature. Rodias just gave a faint smile, letting out an airy chuckle as he simply said: "Perish the thought. You deserve someone a lot better than me. Someone that can keep up with a woman like you. I know for a fact you'd get bored of me quickly," Rodias said, while the last little bit of his human libido screamed for him to "grab bobs and vajeen" while the going was good, Rodias instead let the going get gone.
In a surprisingly swift action, Rodias would hoist Charme off her feet and carry her in a bridal carry before gently putting her back onto a seat. Pulling back slowly, Rodias left with a slowly gliding hand stroking Charme's left cheek to her chin, before he said: "Now, I need to do something to repay you. After all, a dozen of those tinctures would cost a fortune back in YGGDRASIL. So, tell me Charme, what is it you want? I'll indulge you as best I can."
At Rodias comment of her deserving better, the alchemist giggled softly and squeezed his arm tighter, letting him feel the soft, plump sensation of her busom a bit more intensely for just a second.
"Well, I do prefer your usual look, good sir." She said with a wink.
When she was swept off her feet, she let out a surprised, but oh-so-fitting 'Oh my~!'. When sat down on the chair Rodias had been sitting on earlier though, the Sable Lord could see her puff her cheeks and pout, if only for a second, before listening attentively to his words. After he was done, and had stroked her chek which the woman giggled softly at, she placed a finger on her chin and tapped it for a few moments. Then, she looked at her Lord and spoke, smile as friendly and expression as before.
"In that case." She said. "I'd like some wheelbarrows of dirt and soil. Along with a few rotten logs and a couple cart-loads of stone." The woman requested, not seeming to be joking.
Rodias was surprised to see that slight hint of a pout upon Charme's face. Did...did she really enjoy that type of thing? That was surprising. What was more surprising was what she wanted as a reward, though he supposed that such things were no doubt useful to her alchemy, he supposed that maybe she would instead need plants or animal fats for such things. "Might I ask what for? Such things are a trifle, honestly. I'd hardly consider that an ample enough reward for you," Rodias said, returning her friendly smile.
Charme smiled knowlingly, eyes narrowing as she tapped the side of her temple at Rodias' confusion.
"The simplest things are often the best rewards, honey." She said. "Tell me, what good would bringing me fancy baubles or luxuries accomplish? In the end, my stocks and supplies would run dry." She said, reaching over to one of the boxes nearby, withdrawing a black-capped mushroom with orange spots on it. "But... If I made an artificial cave in an empty space of the Well..." She looked at Rodias. "... At least I could keep some of my little friends around, until we can find native substitutes that is."
Rodias had a feeling that such a thing was the case. Rodias would curiously examine the mushroom. "I see," he said before ever so gently laying a gloved finger upon the mushroom. "Then, I will see that you have plenty of stone, soil, and rot with which to cultivate. Do you know what sort of materials could be used to create more of those tinctures?"
Smiling happily at the positive response, Charme gave Rodias a slight laugh.
"Of course I do, sweetie. I am the resident Alchemist after all." Although she laughed, Rodias could tell that her eyes were not. Either she felt insulted that he would ask such a thing, or something else about the inquiry rubbed her the wrong way. Still, she was making an effort to sweep it under the rug, so bringing the topic up again was perhaps not the brightest of ideas. "It needs a Greater Doppelganger's heart, some Chameleon blood and~" She trailed off. "Some other things." Either these other items were hard to get, or she simply didn't feel like sharing any more. Another quirk of her creator rearing its head no doubt.
Rodias immediately recognized his mistake and, wishing to correct it, bowed his head hurriedly. "My apologies. I meant to ask if you could inform me of the ingredients. But, seeing as it requires a Greater Doppelganger's heart, I imagine we'll have to find substitutes regardless, Rodias said. He understood well that an alchemist had their secrets to recipes, but he really did need to know the ingredients in order to help. But, Charme was incredibly capable, and prideful. As such, he figured it was best to let the matter lay with his apology, hoping to have her once again return to her usual self.
Looking towards the dusty elevator in the corner of her chamber that remained regardless of the form of it, Rodias would approach. "Do you mind if I reconnect this elevator? I imagine it would be much easier to bring you the supplies you need, and more discreet, if I don't have to tell every skeleton butler your password."
Charme's eyes didn't change much at Rodias' apology, but they eventually softened again, after a bit of time. When the Sable Lord made his remark about the elevator though, Charme seemed visibly troubled by the question. Not in the sense that it made her uncomfortable, but more as in that she was visibly having to weigh the pros against the cons and consider whetever it was actually something she would even consider.
Still, Charme was no fool, and the more people that knew the actual password to the Well, the higher the risk of unwanted visitors. Even if the elevator was reactivated in order to allow supplies to be delivered, and unwanted visitors popping in at times, the elevator could always be disabled again. But if her password was widely spread and known, there was no going back on that. As such, she let out an almost defeated sigh.
"I suppose we're in a situation where I can't really argue." She spoke, a bit more dryly then usual. "Still, I'd prefer if you told as few of the children about it as possible... Rowdy kids and flasks of glass don't make for a good mix." The alchemist said, putting her hands on her sides, before adding. "And be sure that Flesh-shaper and the Trigger-happy princess doesn't know. I don't need either of them sniffing around while I'm busy." She said, giving Rodias a wink, but not a smile.
It seemed, for the time being, the homunculi had spent all the hospitality she was willing to give, and the dhampir could almost feel the oppressive air of her desire for - either - solitude, or him to depart.
Rodias could feel her desire for him to leave, and would quickly oblige, re-activating the elevator. Turning his head back to her, Rodias smiled warmly, saying: "Thank you, Charme," before riding the elevator all the way back up to the Climax Hour. he would have to sleep off the tincture's effects, lest someone spot him and immediately attack him for being an intruder. It was less troublesome to simply call it a night and enter his private chambers, locking the door behind him.
Looking at himself in the mirror, he couldn't help but rub his jawline, wondering if this was how he'd always looked...definitely not. Flopping onto his bed, Rodias would sleep the night away until the tincture wore itself out.
Charme would notice that something had been left behind for Charme, right under the chair that Rodias had sit upon. There sat a small bundle of materials plucked straight from Rodias' inventory, the likes of which would serve as a good addition to Charme's inventory.
Walking over, bending down slightly and picking the little trove of treasure up, Charme eyed each item, though she did so while pulling down and wearing the glasses that previously only sat idle atop her head. After scanning each little thing, carefully, the woman gathered it all and placed it down atop one of the crates. She then moved to retrieve her pipe, relighting it and taking a long drag.
"Clever boy..." She said to herself. Mulling over her conversation and the information she had just gained from the sole remaining Sable Lord, Charme had a curious look on her face. A smile that wasn't a good smile. "He awoke the pip-squeak doll, had that insufferable man make new things, and he's letting that two-faced woman run loose and expand her territory, hm?" A question directed at none but herself. A ring of white smoke left her lips as she breathed out. "Looks like I'm late to the game, and they've all got a leg up on me." Charme contemplated the situation before sitting down on the chair Rodias had placed his gift under. She crossed one leg over the other and tapped her elbow with her free hand.
"Keeping you safe when you let those miscreants do as they please... What a troublesome Lord I've become stuck with." Her not-good smile remained as she let out a jet of smoke once more.
"What name had the God of Hubris?" it questioned in twinned voices, both male and female speaking in unison from within the genderless blockage.
Rodias wouldn't stop walking forward, nearly slamming his face into the door before the Sable Lord whispered quietly, replying back with: "Icarus," the answer to which caused the door to swing inward upon itself, granting the vampire passage into the Wishing Well proper.
He had seen the corpse of a butler to the side of the door...the usual consequence of failing to answer the door's question. Well, that explained why she never came. "Charme," Rodias would call aloud.
As Rodias walked through the open door, that soundlessly closed behind him, he could feel a slight sensation. As if he had walked through a thin layer of water, thinner than a sheet of paper and barely perceivable, yet still possible to be noticed to those with keen senses. The hallway he walked through, leading into the Wishing Well proper, was largely unlit, with only the brick-laid walls and stone flooring offering any company to the lonesome Sable Lord as he made his approach.
Once he got close to his destination however, Rodias would finally be able to distinguish some sources of light. More specifically, hovering globes of yellow flame, inaudibly floating carelessly in the air, clinging close to the walls. They were no larger than a ripe orange, and their luminence was on par with a weak lgiht bulb, still, there were quite a few of them spread out throgh the interior. The well itself, on the other hand, had adopted the appearance of a very large study. A thick and wide desk, several bookcases, cabinets and drawers lined the walls, whereas there were only only three chairs. One, a large and comfortable-looking armchair, which was currenly occupied, and two regular, unremarkable cushioned wooden chairs. All three were set up around the desk, with the lone, occupied chair on one side and the two empty on the opposite end.
In the occupied seat, sat a woman. Long, lustrous hair that glitterd like silver in the faint light, fair unblemished skin, a pair of gem-like blue eyes that calmly focused on a small book held in a delicate, femenine hand infront of the woman. Dressed in an elegant, yet provocative dress, that showcased not only her shoulders but also an ample amount of her rather considerable rack, she sat with legs crossed and resting her head upon the hand of her free arm while reading the tiny booklet she held. At Rodias' call though, the book was lowered slowly and her head turned to gaze up towards the entrance of the room, just in time to see the Sable Lord enter.
"Well now." She said with a soft, velvety voice, a pleasant, practiced smile spreading across her face. "If it isn't Rodias. What brings you to these parts of the woods? I don't believe I've had to enertain a guest for..." She trailed off for a bit. "... A very, very long time."
She made no effort to get up and out of her seat, no motion to show respect or humility, and spoke no words of fealty or servile formality. Instead, she seemed rather calm and unassuming, greeting the dhampir Lord of the Chateau as she would greet an old friend or acquaintence.
Rodias would approach at his own pace, not particularly in a rush for the business at hand as he took a seat upon one of the wooden chairs, resting one of his legs atop his knee as he responded to her query with: "Unfortunately, its to bring some measure of news. I would say that its bad, but...I doubt the idea of never seeing another Sable Lord except for me means much to you. There was a summons, but...it seems I forgot to give the butler the password to your door. I also come asking a favor. One suited to your talents."
Once he had said that, Rodias would begin relaying the situation outside to Charme, noting specifically that this meant she may have to treat all her alchemical supplies as very finite given that the new world likely wouldn't contain even a single mushroom or blade of grass present in her alchemy.
Once Rodias finished his explanation, Charme gently placed the tiny book she had been holding down onto the desk infront of the two, closing its cover. She had raised an eyebrow, and her smile had gone away, but she didn't seem particularly disturbed or shocked to learn of the events and apparen dire situation that the Chateau now found itself in. Instead, she reached her now freed hand down to a drawer of the desk and retrieved her sleek, slender pipe, placing it upon the flat surface of the desk next to the little booklet.
"That would explain a few things, I suppose." She answered thoughtfully."I guess the more prudent thing to ask next would be what it was you wanted from me... But, tell me, how're the kids handlijng this ... Transition?" She asked, apparently implying that the other members of the Chateau were mere children in her eyes.. Or perhaps that she and Rodias were the mommy and daddy of the Castle? It was hard to tell given her currently calm, neutral expression.
Rodias would consider that for a moment, poising his hand under his chin as he recounted each Chateau member's efforts.
"By and large, they're managing it well. Chuunitrixx is expanding the Chateau's reach rapidly, Isolde has only been online for a few hours now but is managing well. Kath got to take a trip down to a nearby village with Mamoru, and seemed excited to learn and explore. Oz hasn't moved much, but seemed excited to experiment with new materials. Graft is eager to innovate, and Salem is...well, I haven't really managed to figure out how he's taking all of this. But, he seems to not be in a panic over it. Mamoru, Gromgard, Light, Ashara, Kaldorna, Bone Daddy, and Zouyu have all shown themselves to be loyal even in these tense times. And, Flan's cooking is as delicious as ever. Overall, they're handling it fantastically," Rodias would say as he straightened his back up, observing Charme. "...If you need some time to process this information, I can come back later. I understand that its a lot to take in all at once."
Rodias knew exactly the kind of person that PowderPlaguePuff was...personally, he'd never been a fan of him. Nor did he ever think he was really all that big of a deal amongst the Chateau's masters. But he understood well that any creation of his could be a potent ally to have, and, despite Charme's apparent lack of any particular interest or great deal of loyalty, having her alchemical prowess was essential in the long run.
"Hmm... You don't say~?" Charme replied, after hearing the Sablke Lord recount the doings and dealings of her peers. At some point during Rodias' speech, she had slipped the pipe into her mouth, filled it and lit it, though exactly when she did all this seemed to be a blur. Taking a drag from the smoking instrument, she let out a thin jet of white smoke, being careful to face away from Rodias so as to not blow smoke in his face - a small sign of courtesy and manners on her part. When the dhampir mentioned her needing time to accept the current situation though, a playful smile crept over her lips.
"That's sweet, but don't you fret, dear. Whether my rooster, or any of the other ladies and gents of our esteemed leaders, are gone and missing, that doesn't really make much difference to me, now does it?" She said, apparently bemused, and waving her hand in a casually dismissive fashion. Also, apparnetly she thought of PowderPlaguePuff as a farm-bird... "Now then, what can I do for you, dear? You did say you had some work for me, yes?" She inquired, letting out another thin jet of smoke away from Rdoias, her eyes locked with him and a friendly smile on her face.
Rodias was thankful that Charme seemed like a mentally strong person. Either that, or she just genuinely didn't care where she was, so long as she was alive and able to do her craft, or read her books. He also saw that she didn't seem particularly loyal to any of the Sable Lords, even her own creator, but at least had the common courtesy to blow her smoke away from him, as he'd expect she'd do for anybody that wasn't disrespecting her. Thinking of how to poise his question, Rodias would say: "Tell me Charme; Your stock of potions...do you happen to have any potions that allows someone to change their appearance? In addition, I'd like a general inventory of all of your stock."
The woman blinked once, then put her pipe down upon the desk's flat surface again. Using both hands, she pushed herself up and out of her chair, though as she did so, she also leaned forward slightly, meaning Rodias got a good look at her cleavage as she got up.
"One moment." She said, now standing. With flowing, graceful movments, almost as if she was floating, the homunculi walked over to one of the bookcases. At this time, Rodias would also notice just how snug her dress was, tightly hugging and clinging to her shapely, supple body and showing off her curves and features rather prominently. It also begged the question as to how this piece of fabric defied physiscs, as from what Rodias could tell, the lack of shoulder-straps should have meant that her rather prominent melons would have spilled uut long ago, not to mention the fact that she obviously wasn't wearing a brassier.
That tidbit aside, the silver-haired vixen retrieved a small ledger from the shelf she was at, before walking back to the Sable Lord, standing next to him while flipping through the pages, eyes scanning from left to right in a meticulous, rehearsed and well-practiced manner, quickly reading through the scribbles etched within the pages.
"I've got some Potions of Genderswap, six of them in total. I also have some flasks of Christmas Celebration, Easter Euphoria and a dozen Vanity Tinctures." She read aloud. "I think the Tinctures are what you're after, sweetie. They're the kind that let's you alter your appearance, though I'd strongly recommend against it - we don't know if there're any side-effects in this new world after all." She warned, looking up from her ledger and at Rodias, a placid but serious look to her face. She then returned to reading the book, listing all the current stock she had.
Though, apart from ordinary and general-purpose potions, such as MP and HP potions of various strength, some stat-boosting elixirs, rejuvination potions and a bunch of different bombs and venoms, it really didn't seem like Charme had all that much in store. This of course was the direct result of her creator's insistance on the other members of Bandersnatchers bringing their own supplies to trade with Charme if they wanted her services. This meant that people who did visit the alchemist did so only when they needed potions for themselvs, and due to this, there was almost no back-log or overflow of supplies for her to stock. Finishing the inventory, she closed the ledger and looked at Rodias.
"In case you're curious." She said, smiling wryly. "The Genderswap drinks don't change your appeaarane, just whether you've got a cave or a tree downstairs." She seemed very amused by this for some reason. "Also, the Christmas and Easter potions do change your appearance, though only for about an hour or so, and they turn you into either a fat, bearded man with a red suit, or a yellow man-sized rabbit with a basket, respectively." This too seemed to amuse her. Apparently, someone had stored holiday event items in her storerooms, for whatever reason..
Rodias was glad to hear that the Vanity Tinctures were intact, as those were the ones most specifically beneficial to his idea. Much as he figured a genderswapped version of himself would be good for a few laughs for some of the Chateau members, a green skinned seven foot tall vampire man was about as frightening to most as a green skinned seven foot tall vampire lady. ...Then again, knowing the people that he'd formed the guild with, someone would inevitably asked to be stepped on. Imagining that made Rodias physically shudder, eye twitching. The Christmas and Easter potions were fairly useless...but, perhaps it'd be good for a laugh at some point.
The supply of healing potions was limited, and he knew that beyond the inventories of the Chateau members themselves and the vault, their reserves were extremely limited. But, a dozen appearance change potions were a good start...even if there may be side effects. "I don't mind if there are side effects. Its better that we're made aware of any potential dangers now rather than later...As such, I'd like to ask for one of those Vanity Tinctures."
Rodias seemed resolved to do this, in spite of Charme's warning. Whatever plan he had, it seemed he couldn't look like himself to do it.
"It's your funeral." The alchemist said, still smiling wryly while shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. Apparently she had no qualms about her new Master taking risks that may or may not permanently cause him discomfort or issues in the future.
Snapping her fingers in the air, the woman simply stated the word 'Storeroom', aloud in a commanding and determined fashion. At once, Rodias became subject to just how the Wishing Well's power of change worked, as all around him, things took a turn for the surreal. The walls, furniture, floor and ceiling all turned to look like what one would see on a TV with no channel, static grain that just buzzed and flickered in nonsensical black, white and grey. In addition, the room felt as if it were turning, or perhaps spinning would be a more accurate description, making the dhampir lord feel like as if he was seated in one of those tea-cup atractions at an amusement park. Interestingly, the only thing that wasn't adjusting was the seat upon which Rodias still sat - it retained both its texture, form and feel when everything else was changing.
And then, just as soon as the bizarre metamorphing had begun, it stopped. But now, rather than a gloomy study with abundant space and thematic furniture, the pair found themselves in what looked to be a storage magazine. Rows upon rowas of neatly lined crates, chests, cabinets and drawers, with shelves that lined the walls all around them. Apart from Rodias' chair, that now sat square in the middle of the stone-tiled floor, next to some boxes, the only other remnants of the previous room were the hovering globes of light. Well, those and Charme, who looked as natural and unconcerned with the rapid space-shift as someone who had just opened a window.
Walking over the one of the shelves, one of the few that actually had glass flasks stacked on it, she reached her slender hand out and softly plucked a bottle from it. Inside was a strange, milky pink liquid that was more reminiscent of a fruity smoothie in texture, rather than any actual runny fluid. With the potion in hand, she returned to Rodias, extending the bottle to him.
"Here you go, love. One Vanity Tincture, I'd recommend drinking it while infront of a mirror, unless you want to leave things to random chance. Though I suppose I wouldn't mind seeing that..." She smirked a bit. "One more thing, Rodias." She added, holding a finger up as to emphasize her next words. "While this tincture does change your looks, it's not a permanent thing. Back in YGGDRASIL, these potions lasted about six to eight hours, depending on the quality." She explained. "So, if you plan on going somewhere far off, I'd urge you to drink it as late as possible, to get the most out of it."
Potion handed over, Charme took another drag from her pipe, placing her now free arm underneath her chest and on her abdomen, while letting out a puff of white smoke again - once more aimed away from Rodias.
"I don't suppose you mind telling me what you're planning to do with that, hm?" She asked, one eye closed and a curious smile on her lips.
Rodias would calmly wait out the room's metamorphosis, admittedly feeling his stomach lurch a bit as the room spun in its efforts to change into a store room. Upon being handed the pink potion, Rodias would uncork it, listening to Charme's instructions on the length of time it lasted, as well as her interest in seeing just what happened if it was done without a mirror. Chuckling, Rodias said: "I'd be willing to indulge your curiosity. I need to test its limitations before I even think of using it as I intend, after all.
Upon questioning what exactly he was intending, Rodias would answer with: "I'm going to 'invent' a persona. There is a village with a local lord that would best serve us to be...indisposed. I'll pose as a young relative of his, and I'll seize his assets, and bring the village under our control and protection," Rodias said before downing the potion in two gulps, figuring that whatever agony it would cause, having an alchemist in front of him would probably be for the best. After all, she might be able to help with anything going wrong better than anybody else.
"Oh~?" Charme's eyebrows lifted and there was a hint of sinister glee in her eyes as Rodias told her of his plan. "In that case, I'll be ha-" She stopped herself however, as she watched the Sable Lord down the potion infront her. Her, until now, pleasant expression changed to that of an infuriated mother as a visible vein appeared on her forehead.
"WHAT DID I JUST SAY, YOU OAF!?" She snarled furiously, pipe flying out of her mouth and, miraculously, onto one of the boxes next to Rodias. With a turn in her heel, she quickly moved to one of the cabinets and swung the doors open, rummaging around inside. Soon, she returned, holding a mirror that looked like it belonged in a bathroom, an oval-shaped thing with a simple wooden frame. It was big enough to let one see their own head and torso at the same time, at least if standing a bit away from it.
Holding it infront of her brainless Master, the homunculi let out an exasperated sigh. Meanwhile, Rodias would feel a strange sensation. It was like there were small, tiny bubbles rippling and sizzling under his skin, though it didn't feel itchy or unpleasant in any way, rather it felt a bit more like being tickled - from the inside. He also noted, as he looked at the mirror, that he was taking on a rather... Goopy... Appearance, to say the least. In fact, it sort of looked like he was melting a bit, a rather disturbing sight to be sure. Charme, however, remained - past outburst not withstanding - calm and focused.
"Picture it in your mind. Imagine what you want to look like, what color and length your hair is, the tone of your skin, tint of your eyes, the bushiness of your eyebrows. Your clothes, their color, their fabric, all of it. The more detailed, the better." She instructed.
Rodias would find that, as he imagined things within his mind's eye, the goopy, gooey, melting bits of his would began to swirl and move, taking on the forms, shapes and shades that he envisioned. Although, as time passed, he would find that the molding became slower and slower, more sluggish and difficult to precisely control. There was apparently a time-limit on how long one could spend making up their mind as what to look like.
Rodias was genuinely shocked at Charme's sudden outburst, blinking in confusion at the mirror as he saw his eyelid begin to practically melt. That...certainly wasn't good. He hadn't thought this would happen...though, once Charme started instructing him, Rodias' melting mass soon started to congeal into a new form, the likes of which was one that he knew better than his current one. The modest length of blonde hair on his head, the pale salmon colored flesh that replaced his former green, and the drop in height was all familiar to him as he resembled more and more his IRL appearance. The likes of which he hadn't seen in weeks. To Charme, all she knew was that it was a fairly average man she was looking at, the type that was a tad too pale to be a farm worker, and was generally less attractive than Rodias himself was. That wasn't to say he was unsightly...it was more that he himself was more...grounded in what a human looked like, rather than the perfection that came with being an MMO character. Admittedly, just due to personal biases and his self-image, he was a bit more handsome than he'd been in reality. But only as much as it suited the general aesthetic possible to be created by the Tincture. After all, an MMO couldn't suddenly change art styles to accommodate. At least, that's what he told himself.
Admittedly, the clothes themselves didn't change at all. It was as if they themselves resisted the colors and patterns attempting to be forced onto them, leaving Rodias in an ill-fitting suit of his rogue's armor, sitting before Charme. Chuckling slightly, he would say: "I'm surprised at how loudly you yelled at me. Thank you however for your assistance. Without you, I might be dead by now...or worse," Rodias said, standing and nearly tripping in his own shoes. flicking his knife around in his admittedly smaller hand, Rodias whistled. "Skills are all still functional. It seems that my stats are as well," he said, somehow able to ignore the fact that he was just seconds ago melting into a puddle of Rodias goo.
Charme sat the mirror down on the box, the one next to the one that her pipe had landed on. Looking over Rodias' new look, she eyed him up and down, arms folded under her chest, as if examening a pedigree pet or prize livestock. After a bit of silence, and allowing her Lord to speak and thank her, Charme let out a slight soft sigh and looked at him with aamusement.
"Aren't you looking cute? I could just eat you up." She said, coyly. "As for thanking me, don't worry. You wouldn't have died, you would've just ended up looking like a melted clay-figurine for a third of the day." She explained, smiling still. Apparently, the alchemist was fully aware just what would happen if someone didn't specify what they wanted to look like, but had neglected to tell her customer about this, either as a joke or something else. Still, her unwillingness to let either his bravado, or her potion, go to waste, it seemed she had intervened on his behalf to genuinely help him accomplish his goal in the end.
Letting out a slight laugh through her nose, the homunculi propped the little mirror up against the box and the floor, allowing it to lean on its own weight. She then moved on over to Rodias' side, locking arms with him and pulling him towards herself - his arm pressing against the side of her chest. She then looked at the mirror, with the two of them visible in it, and smirked with a playfully flirtatious face.
"Don't we look the happy couple?" She said, voice sweet as honey, while looking to Rodias through the corner of her eyes.
Rodias' human brain was immediately instructed to feel aroused, but thankfully just because he looked human didn't mean that he'd become human. Otherwise, he might very well have fallen straight for Charme then and there. Most men would, given her assets and flirtatious nature. Rodias just gave a faint smile, letting out an airy chuckle as he simply said: "Perish the thought. You deserve someone a lot better than me. Someone that can keep up with a woman like you. I know for a fact you'd get bored of me quickly," Rodias said, while the last little bit of his human libido screamed for him to "grab bobs and vajeen" while the going was good, Rodias instead let the going get gone.
In a surprisingly swift action, Rodias would hoist Charme off her feet and carry her in a bridal carry before gently putting her back onto a seat. Pulling back slowly, Rodias left with a slowly gliding hand stroking Charme's left cheek to her chin, before he said: "Now, I need to do something to repay you. After all, a dozen of those tinctures would cost a fortune back in YGGDRASIL. So, tell me Charme, what is it you want? I'll indulge you as best I can."
At Rodias comment of her deserving better, the alchemist giggled softly and squeezed his arm tighter, letting him feel the soft, plump sensation of her busom a bit more intensely for just a second.
"Well, I do prefer your usual look, good sir." She said with a wink.
When she was swept off her feet, she let out a surprised, but oh-so-fitting 'Oh my~!'. When sat down on the chair Rodias had been sitting on earlier though, the Sable Lord could see her puff her cheeks and pout, if only for a second, before listening attentively to his words. After he was done, and had stroked her chek which the woman giggled softly at, she placed a finger on her chin and tapped it for a few moments. Then, she looked at her Lord and spoke, smile as friendly and expression as before.
"In that case." She said. "I'd like some wheelbarrows of dirt and soil. Along with a few rotten logs and a couple cart-loads of stone." The woman requested, not seeming to be joking.
Rodias was surprised to see that slight hint of a pout upon Charme's face. Did...did she really enjoy that type of thing? That was surprising. What was more surprising was what she wanted as a reward, though he supposed that such things were no doubt useful to her alchemy, he supposed that maybe she would instead need plants or animal fats for such things. "Might I ask what for? Such things are a trifle, honestly. I'd hardly consider that an ample enough reward for you," Rodias said, returning her friendly smile.
Charme smiled knowlingly, eyes narrowing as she tapped the side of her temple at Rodias' confusion.
"The simplest things are often the best rewards, honey." She said. "Tell me, what good would bringing me fancy baubles or luxuries accomplish? In the end, my stocks and supplies would run dry." She said, reaching over to one of the boxes nearby, withdrawing a black-capped mushroom with orange spots on it. "But... If I made an artificial cave in an empty space of the Well..." She looked at Rodias. "... At least I could keep some of my little friends around, until we can find native substitutes that is."
Rodias had a feeling that such a thing was the case. Rodias would curiously examine the mushroom. "I see," he said before ever so gently laying a gloved finger upon the mushroom. "Then, I will see that you have plenty of stone, soil, and rot with which to cultivate. Do you know what sort of materials could be used to create more of those tinctures?"
Smiling happily at the positive response, Charme gave Rodias a slight laugh.
"Of course I do, sweetie. I am the resident Alchemist after all." Although she laughed, Rodias could tell that her eyes were not. Either she felt insulted that he would ask such a thing, or something else about the inquiry rubbed her the wrong way. Still, she was making an effort to sweep it under the rug, so bringing the topic up again was perhaps not the brightest of ideas. "It needs a Greater Doppelganger's heart, some Chameleon blood and~" She trailed off. "Some other things." Either these other items were hard to get, or she simply didn't feel like sharing any more. Another quirk of her creator rearing its head no doubt.
Rodias immediately recognized his mistake and, wishing to correct it, bowed his head hurriedly. "My apologies. I meant to ask if you could inform me of the ingredients. But, seeing as it requires a Greater Doppelganger's heart, I imagine we'll have to find substitutes regardless, Rodias said. He understood well that an alchemist had their secrets to recipes, but he really did need to know the ingredients in order to help. But, Charme was incredibly capable, and prideful. As such, he figured it was best to let the matter lay with his apology, hoping to have her once again return to her usual self.
Looking towards the dusty elevator in the corner of her chamber that remained regardless of the form of it, Rodias would approach. "Do you mind if I reconnect this elevator? I imagine it would be much easier to bring you the supplies you need, and more discreet, if I don't have to tell every skeleton butler your password."
Charme's eyes didn't change much at Rodias' apology, but they eventually softened again, after a bit of time. When the Sable Lord made his remark about the elevator though, Charme seemed visibly troubled by the question. Not in the sense that it made her uncomfortable, but more as in that she was visibly having to weigh the pros against the cons and consider whetever it was actually something she would even consider.
Still, Charme was no fool, and the more people that knew the actual password to the Well, the higher the risk of unwanted visitors. Even if the elevator was reactivated in order to allow supplies to be delivered, and unwanted visitors popping in at times, the elevator could always be disabled again. But if her password was widely spread and known, there was no going back on that. As such, she let out an almost defeated sigh.
"I suppose we're in a situation where I can't really argue." She spoke, a bit more dryly then usual. "Still, I'd prefer if you told as few of the children about it as possible... Rowdy kids and flasks of glass don't make for a good mix." The alchemist said, putting her hands on her sides, before adding. "And be sure that Flesh-shaper and the Trigger-happy princess doesn't know. I don't need either of them sniffing around while I'm busy." She said, giving Rodias a wink, but not a smile.
It seemed, for the time being, the homunculi had spent all the hospitality she was willing to give, and the dhampir could almost feel the oppressive air of her desire for - either - solitude, or him to depart.
Rodias could feel her desire for him to leave, and would quickly oblige, re-activating the elevator. Turning his head back to her, Rodias smiled warmly, saying: "Thank you, Charme," before riding the elevator all the way back up to the Climax Hour. he would have to sleep off the tincture's effects, lest someone spot him and immediately attack him for being an intruder. It was less troublesome to simply call it a night and enter his private chambers, locking the door behind him.
Looking at himself in the mirror, he couldn't help but rub his jawline, wondering if this was how he'd always looked...definitely not. Flopping onto his bed, Rodias would sleep the night away until the tincture wore itself out.
Charme would notice that something had been left behind for Charme, right under the chair that Rodias had sit upon. There sat a small bundle of materials plucked straight from Rodias' inventory, the likes of which would serve as a good addition to Charme's inventory.
Walking over, bending down slightly and picking the little trove of treasure up, Charme eyed each item, though she did so while pulling down and wearing the glasses that previously only sat idle atop her head. After scanning each little thing, carefully, the woman gathered it all and placed it down atop one of the crates. She then moved to retrieve her pipe, relighting it and taking a long drag.
"Clever boy..." She said to herself. Mulling over her conversation and the information she had just gained from the sole remaining Sable Lord, Charme had a curious look on her face. A smile that wasn't a good smile. "He awoke the pip-squeak doll, had that insufferable man make new things, and he's letting that two-faced woman run loose and expand her territory, hm?" A question directed at none but herself. A ring of white smoke left her lips as she breathed out. "Looks like I'm late to the game, and they've all got a leg up on me." Charme contemplated the situation before sitting down on the chair Rodias had placed his gift under. She crossed one leg over the other and tapped her elbow with her free hand.
"Keeping you safe when you let those miscreants do as they please... What a troublesome Lord I've become stuck with." Her not-good smile remained as she let out a jet of smoke once more.
((Collabs with @The Irish Tree and @Lucius Cypher
