“Yes, I’ve gotten it right,” Cor said, satisfied. “And not just that, I removed the timer.”

The vampire stood there, silent, seeming to think it smarter to not talk. Ari gave her an encouraging smile, which only confused her.

“Timer?” Ari asked.

“That forces them to change back,” Cor explained. It seemed Ari could get away with questions, sometimes, without being chided. It felt random which ones would irritate Cor.

“So it’s permanent?” Ari asked.

“Indeed. Until I revert it.”

“But, um. Why? Did you want to do that?”

“Curiosity. But … perhaps for future plans. The important part is that it means, I believe, I can sustain my own transformation.” She turned a cool, prismatic gaze toward Ari. “I was concerned I would have to submit to maintain this form. It seems I won’t. You will remain my subordinate.”

“Um.” That was … bad news, right? It sounded like Cor had been considering joining her Menagerie to keep her new sapience. If it was even possible. But seeing how Cor could do it herself, it meant Ari had no leverage.

Still, she was alive. With how the atmosphere had been initially set, anything that meant she made it through the day stayed, in her perception, a best-case result.

“Now,” Cor said. “Further testing. It was draining to transform her—and so, will be so to maintain myself. But there seemed to be …” she trailed off. “Hm. We’ll see.” Turning to Ari, she commanded: “Fuck her.” She gestured at the vampire girl.

“What?”

“I need to see something.” She gestured impatiently. “Pleasure Dacia. However you please, but get on with it.”

Ari shared a look with a bewildered Dacia, whose blood red eyes had widened at the command.

Ari turned back to Cor, then crossed her arms. “First,” she said pointedly, “you need to see if she’s okay with that.”

Cor raised her eyebrows in incredulity, but Ari crossed her arms tighter and glared.

“I think,” Cor said slowly, “you forget who belongs to who, here.”

Maybe Ari was an idiot for challenging a recently-transformed nearly eldritch being, but she continued to glare, not cowed. “Cece and Victoria seemed to have high opinions of you.” She’d read that even through Victoria’s irritation, and Cece had said as much explicitly. That the Core was always ‘fair’ with them. “Maybe you’re their boss, and when it comes to dungeon management, ordering them around is how things work, professionally speaking. But this isn’t that.”

Cor seemed torn between amused, irritated, and … hesitant? Which was good. Maybe Ari’s words resonated. Because Ari obviously had no way to enforce her viewpoint, besides appealing to Cor’s morality. Her very recently acquired morality.

“I suppose I’ll listen to the expert,” Cor said. Irritation had replaced the amusement and hesitance, but the words were conciliatory. “But even when advising me, you will show respect.”

This time, the chiding had the intended effect. Ari blushed, then dipped her head in deference. “Yes, Mistress. Sorry.”

Cor turned to Dacia, quirking an eyebrow. Dacia nodded rapidly, answering the implied question. Ari’s defense of her hadn’t been necessary. She had seen the excitement in her eyes, and she had yet to run into a monstergirl who didn’t enjoy lewd activities. But she had known immediately that this was an important precedent to set. Cor needed to be mindful of her subordinates when it came to this kind of thing. Even if it wouldn’t be necessary for most, if not all, cases, seeing how happy monster girls were to have fun with any and everyone.

“There,” Cor said dryly. “Now, if you will?” She gestured at Dacia.

Ari blushed. Right. Well, time to … fuck her, then? In front of Cor? For some unknown reason? Presumably Cor was looking to glean information about her class and skills, how they worked. Ari knew better than to ask for specifics. She’d pushed her luck already. Better to save pushing for when it mattered.

Having fun with monster girls was rarely awkward, but being ordered to by Cor, who would apparently be watching closely? Ari blushed as she stepped up to Dacia.

“So, um. Is there anything you want to do?”

Dacia glanced at Cor, as if looking for advice.

Dryly, Cor said to Dacia, “She’s talented with her mouth. Perhaps start there?”

“T-That, then?” Dacia asked. She had a softer voice than Ari had expected. More timid.

Ari grinned, then got down on her knees. She wouldn’t have minded using the strap-on a second time, but back to the classics? Getting to choke on unreasonably large monster girl dicks? Ari didn’t think she’d ever complain about that.

Gripping Dacia’s cock and bunching her foreskin up and down, bringing her to full mast with a stroking hand, Ari admired the member she’d shortly have stuffing her throat. Any hesitance about having Cor watch vanished. If anything, it excited her more. When did she become such a voyeur?

Pressing her lips to Dacia’s cock head, she got to work. Her Mistress had commanded it, after all.