Definitely not getting our deposit back.
I didn’t ask for specifics on numbers and skills, just rough descriptions, and neither Danielle nor I offered anything more than we already had. When we were done, my list looked like this:
Name
Class
Notes
James
Mage
Mana Bolt, Psychic Healing
Mike
Mana Healer
Heal Light Wounds, Heal Poison, Healing Touch, also doctor
Danielle
Shadow Dancer
Rogue, backstabs, catgirl form(?)
Joe
Defender
Defense, weapon use
Mandy
Punisher
Uses whip, attacks cause debilitating pain, ray gun
Anthony
Wandering Monk
Staff fighter, can hit anything
Samantha
Animal Tamer
Needs pets, skills allow buff and heal pets
Susan
None
None
“Okay,” I said, reviewing it. “This will work. This should keep us alive, and once Samantha has a pet, we’ll be doing even better. ‘System, time.’”
SYSTEM MESSAGE: Local Time is 11:56AM Eastern Standard Time, Saturday, April 8, 2017.
“Crap,” I said. “It’s almost noon. We’re packed. Mike and Samantha, I know you are too. Who else is going? We need to move.” As I spoke, I moved into the kitchen and put a few bottles of water and some random snacks in a cloth grocery bag. Thank God for reusables. I don’t want this crap in my suitcase. “I’m just taking enough to last a day. We’ll leave supplies for anyone who stays.”
Joe looked at Mandy. “Mistress,” he said, not even bothering to hide his feelings for her or his concern, “I want to help them get to town. But I don’t want you here alone, either.”
Her face moved back and forth, lips pursed and eyes looking into some far distance. She was obviously having trouble deciding.
“If we leave, Susan will be all alone,” she finally said. In the meantime, others had followed my lead and grabbed a few supplies for the road.
“I’ll be fine. Once you find a working car just send somebody for me,” Susan said dismissively. She had at least made herself something to eat while she was ignoring our character creation session, or whatever it was. “Go if you want.”
“My parents… I have to try to get home. Or call them. Something. They’re not well,” said Mandy haltingly. “I just wanted a weekend…”
“It’s okay,” said Joe, putting his hand gently on her shoulder. “It’s like James said. You couldn’t have known.”
I noticed Mike and Samantha trading guilty looks. This has to stop, I thought.
“Time enough for that when we find out what’s going on,” I said sharply. “Bathroom break for everybody. Then we go.”
Chapter 3
She IS A Switch
People set their bags and other things aside and filed toward the stairs. I pulled Danielle back as the others headed for the bathrooms. Glancing at Susan, who had settled into the couch with a book she’d found somewhere, I spoke in a low, urgent tone.
“Danielle, I have to tell you something. Didn’t your Special Skill say something about needing a Mesmerist?”
“Yes,” she said, looking surprised and a little confused. “It says I need a…” Her eyes went soft. We’d learned that if you just thought ‘Status’ with the right intent, it was enough. “‘A suggestion from a Mesmerist. Once transformed, will remain in Magical Catgirl form until the Mesmerist gives a suggestion to change back or you sleep for eight hours straight.’” She looked disgusted. “It says, ‘Catnaps won’t work, nya.’ Great. I’m a fucking meme.”
“Danielle, I’m a mage… but I’m a mage type called a Mesmerist.” Her mouth opened but I cut her off. “I didn’t want to say it because I didn’t want to freak people out. It… it works like hypnotism in bad movies. It can work on people who don’t want it to work.”
Her eyes got huge. She wasn’t a hypnotist - she liked being tranced - but she’d learned enough to know that hypnosis didn’t work like in bad movies.
“I wouldn’t, Danielle, you know me. You were deep last night but I respected every single boundary. You know that. I didn’t have to say anything. But you need to know.”
“I… I don’t know what to say,” she said slowly. “I’m… that’s scary.” She looked a little freaked out, just as I had worried.
“I swear to you, Danielle, I won’t. Not on people who don’t want it. Not unless they’re trying to hurt me. To hurt us. But I had to tell you. I can give you a suggestion that will let you change.”
Her eyes got even bigger. “Oh my God. You’re right.” Her mouth opened and closed unconsciously as her mind raced. It was sexy as Hell, frankly, but I tried to keep it under control.
“C’mon,” I said, in a more normal voice, pulling her up the stairs. “I think I forgot something in our room.” We walked up, passing Mike in the hall as Samantha went into the bathroom he’d just left. Danielle followed me into the room we’d shared and I pushed the door mostly closed. If I close it all the way, people will think we’re up to something. The irony made me let out a single snort.
“I won’t make you, Danielle, but those catgirl abilities sound amazing. They could save your life. All our lives.” My voice was still urgent and I was trying to keep quiet without actually whispering. “I’d like to give you the suggestion. It’s up to you.”
“Now?” she squeaked. “I… people will…”
“No,” I said sharply. “I’ll give you a trigger. Triggers are suggestions. I’m also a Master Hypnotist. Not just the certifications. I mean, really a Master Hypnotist. The System gave me a Special Skill. I know this will work.”
The look she gave me was lost and confused. A tiny little part of me wanted to just do it anyway. But she was a friend. Quickly becoming something more. And I didn’t want this to start out like that. That way led to dark places. I’d seen it with regular hypnotists. Never mind this.
“I… all right. But you have to swear you’ll change me back the second I ask.” Her eyes were glistening and her voice was shaking. She was trembling with fear of the unknown. Of the idea of not being human, maybe. It was scary. I was scared.
“Of course. We’ll make the triggers easy. How about…” I smiled a little in spite of myself. “‘Here kitty kitty,’ to change, and ‘Byebye kitty’ to change back?”
The dumbfounded look I got was worth the sharp punch in the shoulder that followed it. “You’re a jerk,” she said, with a voice somewhere between outrage and giggling. “But fine. You’re right, it’s easy.”
“Thanks. I promise, I’ll be good. Can I hypnotize you to give you the suggestion?”
Her shoulders tensed and she shook her head, almost shuddering with nerves. “I don’t know. Good as you are I’m not sure I can let go.”