Chapter 32

Jocasta led them back out to the Grove, where Lux’s tree pulsed with shimmering light. The mood in Luxholme had shifted so profoundly from the quiet, stifled terror of the morning. Somebody was cooking something that smelled better than Cora thought you’d be able to make with what they’d bought, and most of the freed women were gathered under the shimmering tree. They’d commandeered one of the casks of wine Cora noticed Iain had snuck into the ‘essentials’, and Cora didn’t blame them one bit.

They still froze when she approached, but Cora hit ‘em with the dazzle, and asked where she could find a cup for herself. Most of the women were wary, but Tinny, who was sat comfortably in Dip’s lap, held out the cup she’d been drinking from.

“Gods, take mine, Cora!” She mock begged, voice making it obvious that wasn’t her first glass. Cora took it, and Tinny draped herself theatrically, and more than a little suggestively, over Dip’s lanky shoulders. “this strapping young man is trying to get me drunk, and I shan’t let him!”

Dip grinned like an idiot, and Cora felt good about hiring him. She didn’t see a whoooole lot of intelligence in those eyes, but she didn’t see any malice either. These kids could have their fun.

She filled her cup from the cask as Jocasta led Mike to the tree, and took her first sip as she handed the man a Shimcore.

Cora was pleased to find the wine suited her determinedly unrefined tastes, sweet and juicy. She hoped the alcohol could break through her [End]. Cora could use a nightcap.

She watched as Jocasta had Mike kneel in front of the tree, lowering his head but raising the Shimcore as to the tree with both arms.

“Does he need to do that?” Cora asked the air, in a conspiratorial whisper.

‘Oh no! Not at all! I certainly don’t mind it however!’ Lux answered, matching her tone. Jocasta flicked her eyes over to Cora, giving her a cheeky wink before throwing her own hands into the air and saying something Cora could tell would be as grandiose as it was bullshit. Cora chuckled into her wine.

After a moment, the Shimcore shattered in Mike’s hands, the energy within floating for a moment, freezing the shards in place before rocketing up into the tree. It flowed out from where it impacted the trunk, racing through the bark, making the tree’s leaves burst with energy once more. An instant later, it flowed back out, cleaner somehow, refined. It coalesced above Mike, then became a lance of light, shooting both back into him and out into the sky.

Mike slumped as if exhausted, but after a moment, rose back to his feet. Cora focused on him through Lux, curious.

[Micheal Wonik][Level 2]

[Str:6]

[Dex:5]

[End:7]

[Vit:5] 

[Agi:4]

[Int:8]

[Will:13]

[Cha:6]

[Skills: {Butling III}, {Workforce Management II}, {Cleaning I}, {Woodworking I}]

[Relationship Stats]

[Anger: 0/20]

[Devotion: 22/60]

[Affection: Grateful]

[Stat Points:2]

[Skill Points:1]

Damn, kinda wish I’d actually got to experience some level III Butling. Bet the pampering was insaaaane. Oh, why’s he level 2?

EXTRA ENERGY FROM THE SHIMCORE, SHOULD HAPPEN FOR EVERYONE, EXCEPT JOCASTA.

Nice. Everyone who joins this house gets to be just a liiiiiitle better than everyone else by default. Good for advertising.

Mike regained his bearings, tanked a clap on the back from Hawk that nearly put him on his ass, and his eyes finally landed on Cora’s. She raised her cup of wine, and an eyebrow along with it.

[HOUSEHOLD INVITATION EXTENDED TO <Micheal Wonik>]

[HOUSEHOLD INVITATION ACCEPTED]

Cora beckoned him over, as Jocasta began to go through the same process for Iain.

“Movin’ up in the world huh?” She asked as he approached, his moustache shifting up in a sly smile. “Check this out.”

She extended a finger gun towards him, and made it rock back like she’d shot it.

[=Majordomo= ASSIGNED TO <Micheal Wonik>]

Mike staggered a bit, as his mind suddenly began working almost twice as quickly as it had before. His skin also cleared up a bit, proof that, yep, [Cha] did make you hotter.

“I feel amazing!” He exclaimed, grinning widely at Cora. “This….. this is a gift!”

“Good,” Cora said giving him a friendly shake on the shoulder. “Treat it like one. I don’t expect anything in return. However, I still hope you’ll help. I’ll pay!”

“Oh, that you will indeed!” Mike laughed, “the ‘down-payment’ on our salaries is already in everyone’s pockets. First thing I did!”

“Glad to hear it! One of the first orders of business will be upping that, though for a while it may be too dangerous for anyone to leave and spend it. Got a plan for cash though, anyone fill you in on Berg?” Cora asked.

“They did…” Mike answered, looking at Cora with a little wonder in his eyes. “You must have been quite something out there, to have those two stay with us, even if Berg is staying at a distance.”

“Ah, I had some help,” Cora deflected with a big grin. “Both from the absolute fuckin’ hardcases it turns out this house contained, and the Chains for making things look like hell outside.”

“Hah! I imagine so. To hear Hawk tell it, you lot killed nearly fifty of them today alone, most personal kills of hers,” Mike laughed, shaking his head fondly, the way a parent might at a child’s ambitious lie.

“No, that’s… yeah, that’s pretty close on the numbers. Maybe 40? Hawk only killed like, 10, though, gotta talk to her about takin’ credit that ain’t hers,” Cora chuckled. Mike looked back at her, jaw on the floor.

“How… what!?”

“Not all at once!” Cora explained, realizing what she was about to say wouldn’t be easier to believe, “a dozen or two at a time. [Big Sys] and Lux think they have something like Lux, but basically just for making dude-clones. Sort of fake-people monsters.”

As expected, that didn’t make Mike’s jaw any less slack in amazement, though it added a little horror.

“Hey, don’t look so upset!” Cora grinned, “This place is more secure than ever, and those assholes are going to be our main source of income for the immediate future. Chin up!”

Cora reached out and literally lifted Mike’s jaw closed. He slapped her hand away in a fit, but snapped out of it.

“That is… well, it's amazing, but so is everything else that happened today,” he sighed. He produced a cup, and grabbed a glass of wine, which he immediately drained, then refilled, and repeated once more. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, this night is shaping up to be the only good one Luxholme’s staff has ever had, and I plan to facilitate it. Thank you… Cora.”

The way he said her name was different this time, in the best kind of way. A few people had begun to call her by her name, but all of them thus far had been delivering it wrong. Not pronouncing it wrong, but saying it as though humoring her, like it was just a quirk of this new Linnea. The way Mike had just said it though? 

Well, maybe everything that had  happened finally added up enough for him to believe a different woman, a good woman even, had taken over his bitch Master’s body.

Over the next few minutes, Cora got Iain, Jocasta, and Kyra set up in their new roles, and sat back to observe the party. Very consciously, she didn’t join in herself. Some of these people were beginning to thaw to her, but almost none could be said to be comfortable around her. She was not going to ruin the first chance to let loose some of these people had probably ever had.

Someone had produced a string instrument of some kind, and was playing a jaunty party tune beautifully. Mike’s ‘facilitation’ had apparently taken place mostly in the kitchen, and it appeared that he’d recruited Hawk as pack mule, using first pick of the vittles he was having her carry out as bribery. The music, the laughter, the scent of food and wine, they all combined with the glow of the Heartfruit tree, and made the scene look like nothing so much as a party in the middle of a magic forest. And it was good.

The only major cause for concern Cora had was that Hawk had taken to challenging women to wrestling matches, first two on one, and now having worked up to four on one, which was still a hilarious mismatch. It looked like Power Rangers trying to pile on a kaiju before their mid-episode power up.

So far, everything happening in the ring looked consensual and above board, but Cora had Lux ask Iain to keep an eye on that. She wanted to trust Hawk, but knew she couldn’t, not yet, not with her history.

Also, she was a little jealous of the women getting thrown around.