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The Maids Guide to Demon Hunting

Polina Laye

Farisian Maid

---

With only a few days between the briefing and the mission, Polina too was a busy maid. She had taken the initiative to approach Tiki again for the second time in the past couple days for her to tailor a dress suitable for a noble at a ball while still being fit for combat. Taking to some training and preparation of her own, including acclimating to and making sure she could hide weapons with her selected garment, the Farisian maid felt as prepared as she could be on the day of the ball.

Sitting in the vehicle together with Livia and Lucrecia, Polina was wearing a shoulderless dress in dark blue. The cut of it was just low enough for some of her cleavage to be visible yet remain classy. The A-line cut of the garment terminated just below her knees, which were covered with black stockings and where a hidden handgun and combat knife were strapped to her upper thigh, together with smaller blades hidden under other parts of her dress. Like her mistress, she had a more visible sidearm strapped to a belt around her waist. It wasn’t the knightly sword that she more regularly used, but a smaller, thinner dress blade that was still common enough as a defense weapon among the nobility, and something that Polina was just as proficient in. Unlike her appearance as a maid, her blue-gray hair was let down and meticulously styled, leaving her the spitting image of a typical martially inclined noble lady from Farry.

“So, he’s not just a fool in messing with things beyond his understanding, but a typical idiot with new money that spends trying to get the approval of his betters,” Polina commented on Livia’s mini-briefing. Speaking more casually, she was already partially in character, but half of it was simply removing the filters from her inner monologue. “I can’t imagine his peers don’t hold certain opinions of him in private.”

She nodded, smoothing her dress as she agreed with Lucrecia’s questions. Polina added a question of her own, “Perhaps a bit late to ask this, but do we have a copy of the full guest list? Just in case there are more… problematic elements among them.” She eyed the parked horse-drawn carriage of the church as they passed it.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

---

As much as Éliane enjoyed the thrill of battle and the enjoyment of the hunt, the way the blightbeasts continued to come almost gave her pause. Almost. As dumb as the creatures were, she was sure that most social animals would have cut their losses long before it had gotten to this point. As much as the creatures continued to put up a fight, it was clear that the tide had long turned against them, and they were being slaughtered. Even now, Éliane continued to cut and blast her way through the formerly murderous creatures.

Finally, though, they broke. If they were men, they would have quit field long before this point. As is, she was sure that whatever social structure this pack had, it was as good as dead; the beasts had misjudged their mark terribly, and they would pay for it. Well, that really wasn’t her problem, was it?

“About time,” she exhaled, slightly winded herself. “But there’s nothing like being kept on your toes every so often.” Satisfied with the outcome, she checked over herself and her fellow companions for their condition. She frowned as she searched for their chocobos, which had been scattered during the battle. It would be very inconvenient if they lost any. She noted Arton’s concerns, adding Goug to the list of missing elements to their party.

Groaning, she spoke up. “I’ll go look for him. We need to round up the birds anyway.” At that, she began to double back towards where the ambush had started to search, her weapon still out in the event of needing to dispatch any straggling blightbeasts that got in her way.

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Giselle de Farry

Undead Princess, de Farry

---

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Giselle muttered under her breath, temporarily foregoing refinement to vent her frustration at her own lack of progress. Thankfully, Aleksiya’s attack on the hand kept it anchored in place, although she wasn’t entirely sure how much it could move in the first place. If the red wires were too tedious to cut with her sword, then she could at least try something else. With the hand-creature pulling the wires taught, it even made it easier for her to sever them.

She let red ichor spool out from her free, outstretched palm, a pool of blood taking a formless shape in the air. Instead of letting it form into one of her more familiar weapons like a spear or another sword, though, she created some red thread of her own. It was not nearly as thin or long as the material that continued to puppet Kordelia, and after a moment of forming, it took a long, whip-like shape. She gave the blood weapon a few tentative waves, playing with it like a red ribbon from foreign dances she was familiar with in the far past. It was elegant, as she liked it, but with a dangerous edge to its free-flowing cord.

If the puppetmaster tried to stay out of reach of her sword, then it would have a far more difficult time with this. Kordelia seemed slowed; Giselle took advantage of this as she guarded with her sword, all the while her long whip lashed out at the threads that controlled the princess of beasts. Letting it crack out at her target, she hoped to sever them outright this time. If not, well, she’d just wrap around the threads and pull.

The Maids Guide to Demon Hunting

Polina Laye

Farisian Maid

---

Polina perked up as Livia called her out by name. It would seem that her credentials had been noticed after all… Although even if Giselle hadn’t seen it fit to provide more details on her employable skills during her correspondence with Livia, the Farisian maid doubted that mistress of the Violet Garden didn’t have the intelligence resources to build a robust profile on every maid that she employed.

Either way, Polina was eminently qualified for either task. She considered herself exceptionally skilled at bodyguarding, and no doubt Lucrecia had a similar skillset, but she ultimately found the role a bore. She found herself far more interested in playing the role of a noble for a night. Those were some skills that she didn’t get to use often, and one night of somewhat unrestrained amusement sounded like a good time to her. She glanced towards Lucrecia, raising an eyebrow in silent communication before speaking to Livia. “It would be my pleasure to act as your escort for the ball, mistress,” she replied, with a light smile.

Assuming Lucrecia hadn’t an issue with it, she was a good bodyguard, too. Polina suspected that Livia didn’t truly need a bodyguard, but she had no real evidence to back it up.

She felt excited. This was going to be a fun mission. Now, how far could she play the role of an unhinged Farisian noble without jeopardizing the mission too much? Hmm.

Maybe she could get away with a reasonable amount, considering the demon maid would be tagging along. It really seemed like a recipe for disaster. Well, that wasn’t her problem, was it?

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Giselle de Farry

Undead Princess, de Farry

---

Giselle had a soft spot for maids, but she tolerated insolence from precious few of them. The ones she did… were long gone. At least for now. Fuck your ‘investment,’ she thought. She considered herself a chill vampire lord, and an even more relaxed princess, but being talked down to like dirt while threatening a village into extinction…. And defiling the mind, memory, and sanctity of a fellow lord… Such things were beyond the pale.

If only she had the power or information to do anything about it. For all of the maid’s arrogance, it was warranted, in a way, when Giselle and Aleksiya were still weak after reawakening. The white-haired vampire could only scowl in displeasure as the wretched maid stole away into the neverending night.

Unlike Aleksiya, there was no smile on her face as she moved to dismantle the spectral creature that the maid had left behind. There was only grim determination as she struck out at both the hands and the crimson threads that remained to manipulate the poor beast princess. Giselle was not so confident that removing the hand and the strange thread manipulating her body would free Kordelia, but nonetheless, the obstacle conveniently remained for the Farisian princess as the outlet for her anger.

Perhaps Giselle might not have been as fast as a manipulated Kordelia, but sufficiently motivated, she could still move. As Aleksiya played with the hand itself, she snapped out at the threads still controlling Kordelia, slashing first with a wide arc with her silver blade, before turning into focus on each individual thread had her initial sweep failed to find purchase.

The Maids Guide to Demon Hunting

Polina Laye

Farisian Maid

---

Polina considered it a test of her wills to not react to Eliz’s very predictable response to her little comment, but somehow, she managed her trademark indifferent look. “If you are fishing for complements, I’m the wrong maid to give it,” she replied. Even if my opinions are different in private.

Seeing Kat approach, the Farisian maid decided discretion was the better part of valor and began to make her way to the briefing at Mariarca’s prompting. She knew a disaster when she saw one, though she made sure to keep the two maids in her periphery for her own amusement even as she cleared the zone of prospective violence. “Though, it is strange that you would be upset. I’d consider it a compliment from Kat,” she muttered under her breath, but loud enough for the involved parties to hear.

Regardless of the fallout, she soon found herself standing in line in front of a wall in the briefing room. Much of it was what Polina could expect, but what the mistress of the Maison had for them after the after-action report was far more interesting. Polina thought it was a bit curious that the man had acquired his item midway through the auction, in spite of being raided, but she supposed that was a moot point here.

They were to infiltrate a ball, then?

As a former noble of the Oros Empire, she had some limited exposure to them as a child, but under Giselle’s employ, she had helped plan and run more than one. She had also participated in her share of stomping on unruly nobles stepping out of line, so wasn’t this almost business as usual for her? That was, unless the demon broke out in the chaos or something. Surely that wouldn’t happen? Hmm.

Her lips curled up in a modest smile. “I am well equipped when it comes to handling a ball. Let Lord Havershel have a splendid evening.”

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Giselle de Farry

Undead Princess, de Farry

---

Aleksiya was not the only one that frowned at the extent of Kordelia’s renewed transformation. Aside from the obvious gaucheness of it all, it was simply not in the style of the beast princess, even one as demented and corrupted as she was now. Her strange movements after Aleksiya’s attack all but confirmed the woman’s poor body was being puppeted.

That offended Giselle greatly, but she remained cautious. Whoever was doing that was dangerous indeed if they could do such a thing to a vampire lord. She frowned as the thing that Kordelia had twisted into howled, spurring the beasts around them into… heading for the village. Narrowing her eyes, she hoped that the other lords in the village would be able to defend a second wave, as she and Aleksiya were in no position to intervene.

The smaller vampire was not the only one to notice the strange red thread, and she nodded to acknowledge it. The maid atop the pillar, however, had most of her attention. Normally, she looked upon such servants very favorably. She kept an impressive knight corps of combat maids herself, doting on them far more than a sovereign really should have, and she still had a soft spot for the cute maids some of her peers and other powers had, too.

She was not so lucky to encounter a surviving maid from her household, although the dress looked strangely close to a certain Maison from eons past, even if it didn’t quite match the uniform.

The unknown maid here, however, received a colder welcome than either would ever receive.

“You style yourself as a maid, yet I can already tell whatever master or mistress you may belong to was lacking in your education with manners like yours.” Chiding the maid as if she were a disappointed mother talking to an unruly child, she moved even as she spoke, sword out, aiming for the thread. Still, she didn’t hesitate to get information the good, old-fashioned way.

“Introduce yourself.”

The Maids Guide to Demon Hunting

Polina Laye

Farisian Maid

---

Polina looked unamused at Elizstrazia’s braggadocio. “It’s serviceable,” she replied, using the same dull, placid tone that the maid favored for moments like these. Inwardly, she was ready to chortle, and it took all her will to maintain the façade of composure that was her brand. “…As long as you let Tiki do her work.”

The Farisian maid took the rest of her basic measurements, but let the tailor-maid take care of the rest…

She watched back with that same placid face, even as she internally questioned her life choices as said maid continued to grope and feel up the new demon maid, all ostensibly for necessary measurements. Polina didn’t believe it, but she respected the hustle. Maybe there were some benefits to acting a little more unhinged, after all.

Nonetheless, it had taken some effort, but Eliz finally was stuffed into her tailor-maid tailor-made dress. Polina nodded in approval at the completed uniform.

She gave a serious answer this time, even if she crooked an eyebrow at Tiki’s swift exit. “You look proper.”

Fire Emblem: Crestfallen

Parthenia Harland Ciran

of House Ciran

---

For the most part, Parthenia decided to leave Lapis alone when she moved into her room. Most of her things –consisting of a trio of trunks that contained most of the things she needed or wanted to bring to the academy—had already been delivered to her side of the assigned room, and she quickly moved to meticulously unpack and arrange her belongings.

When her reluctant roommate announced her intentions to abandon her use of the room, though, Parthenia had affixed Lapis with a withering stare and insisted that she use the room. She wasn’t sure just how touched in the head this girl had become, but she wasn’t going to let her just sleep outside. Despite her insistence, the next morning she had discovered Lapis had never used the room, and Parthenia resolved to harass the girl into actually sleeping in a bed like a normal girl.

She still wanted a roommate, after all.

She rose early, as was typical for her these days. After a quick stretching routine, she broke her fast in the cafeteria with some simple bread, some cheeses, and some fruit before she made her way to class. Surprisingly, she was neither early nor fashionably late, but plain on-time, arriving as everyone else had.

Curiously, their instructor was absent. On the first day?

Predictably, Parthenia had questions… as did everyone else. Sliding into a seat on the second row, she gave a wave to Doric and Sherry before catching Andrion’s wink. Preparing to accept the offering of wrapped sandwich, she shot Dory a scowl as he got in between her and free food. “Rude,” she sniffed, shaking her head at him as she set her bag down. “I’ll remember that.”

Nonetheless, she didn’t protest as the sandwich was handed to her roommate. No, she had other words to say to her. “One of us should tell him. We are paying for this education, after all. But never mind that. Where were you last night?”

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

---

With the entire party now truly in the thick of battle, Éliane was in her element as she slashed aside another blightbeast, casting the creature aside in a rip of red as she continued to advance alongside her counterpart from Osprey. Unlike Izayoi, she was quieter warrior in the heat of battle, saving her breath in the favor of ruthless efficiency as they savaged the pack of beasts. The ambush had been long broken, and now it was time to show these little beasts just how mistaken they had been for their transgressions.

Éliane noticed the pack leader at about the same time as Izayoi had. The Skaelan was tempted to take that challenge on herself, but she knew that she wasn’t equipped to meet that sort of attack without some heavy maneuvering. Before the other girl began to speak, she could tell from her body language that she had a plan.

“Okay,” she responded with a nearly casual tone, trusting her to her job. “I’ll take care of the rest.”

Her muscles tensed as she her attentions turned to the remainder of the pack. Her bullets were freshly chambered into her gunblade, and with a grin, she struck out as she met the rest of the creatures with a flurried attack. Rather than shooting from afar, where the jumpy creatures were more likely to successfully dodge, she quickly closed the distance in a blitz, shooting at one point blank and hacking at another. Pressing forward, she continued to advance, not giving the beasts the chance to recover and regain their momentum and disrupt Izayoi’s attack and recovery.

With the number of blightbeasts around her, she made sure to count her shots to not be caught off-guard. As she continued her small crusade against the pack, she became aware of Arton and Galahad’s presence in addition to Neve, appreciating their support now that she had it. She was confident of her position, but with the pack continuing to swarm, the extra help was appreciated. The sheer weight of numbers meant that some of them had finally been able to properly respond to her frenzied charge; only Galahad’s timely counter-charge had prevented her from being put into an awkward position. She gave him a nod. “They have no sense of self-preservation. Not that it matters.” At the very least, they’d make this path safer for future travelers.

With another step, she rang out another shot at an approaching blightbeast, before she reentered the fray.