Saki

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  ? I stared blankly into the empty ocean, Reedril had left, and I had not even noticed. His words echoed again, “Not just anyone can take nothingness and make it their own.” I do not know how long I sat there, it seemed to be a common theme in the underwater city void-scape.

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  ? Eventually, I stood and meandered back to the camp. I did not even look at my surroundings as I did.

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  ? When I got back, I found Tristy in her underwear , dancing while Anna clapped excitedly and said, “More!”

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  ? I summoned a void ball and fired it at Anna without even flinching. She somehow not only dodged, but to my shock, redirected the ball back at me?

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  ? I jumped out of the way as my void ball flew past, missing me by inches. I turned and watched in shock as the ball hit a ruin wall and just erased the part it hit, continuing on until it reached the ceiling. After that, I could not see it anymore, only a hole where it had entered the city ceiling.

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  ? With that void ball nearly hitting me, I was quickly pulled out of my thoughts , and I entered a combat stance. Except, Anna just bounced around and giggled, saying, “Again, again! I want to play ball!”

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  ? I dropped my stance, realizing she was just mimicking me. I walked over to her and smiled as I leaned in to pick her up. “Now, Anna, please tell Tristy to stop dancing in your underwear for me, okay? She needs to get dressed!” I said in a condescending childlike tone.

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  ? Anna instantly turned back to Tristy, who, to my surprise, looked at me in irritation. A look that was completely shifted to neutrality when I looked at her. “Tristy, you can stop dancing now! I command you to dress yourself as well!” Tristy’s collar lit up, and Tristy obeyed. She stopped dancing and grabbed her clothes off the ground.

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  ? I paused as I considered what happened. I looked down at the divine spirit in my arms and really thought about how her personality worked. She was a mirror to those around her, right?

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  ? If Tama was asleep, and I was gone, that left, I looked at Paige and Tristy more closely. Tristy had finished getting dressed and was on her knees next to Tama. She almost seemed to be worshiping the Nekojin.

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  ? I walked over to Tristy and Paige. “Tristy,” I said as I stood over her. She turned to me, face neutral. She tilted her head slightly but said nothing. I asked her anyway, “Tristy, did you convince Anna to order you to dance in your underwear ?” Tristy’s neutral face did not shift, she simply said calmly, “I did not tell Mistress’s divine outfit to have me undress and dance for her.”

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  ? I noticed she used the word tell, and that, albeit her neutral face, her eyes showed anger at me.

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  ? Even as she spoke, Anna turned to her and said, “Anna orders you to cook for Mistress Tama, slave girl!” I watched as Tristy’s collar lit up, and she stood, walking past me to the campfire. She began to cook one of the fish. She seemed almost at peace with herself, a very familiar look. One I recognized.

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  ? “Okay, I have had this song and dance before, let us not play this game,” I said seriously. I held up Anna and said, “Anna, what is Tristy thinking?” Anna detached from my hand and flowed into Tristy. Her body froze and jerked, then she stood and turned to me with a smile. “I am thinking about how much I wish Mistress Tama would make use of me. I pray she will whip me and put me in my place. But you,” she pointed at me, “keep making her be nice!”

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  ? I nodded sagely, I had a feeling. I snapped my fingers and clapped. “Okay, Anna, come back now, Saki wants her friend!” Anna jumped out of Tristy, who stumbled forward as Anna left her body. Anna rushed over to me and climbed back onto me.

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  ? Tristy said nothing, she simply straightened, sat back down, and continued cooking the fish. “Is what you just said true, Tristy? Is that what you are thinking?”

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  ? Tristy was silent for a moment before saying, “You are not my Mistress, I do not have to answer to you.”

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  ? I did not have to be petty, I really did not. But I would be void damned if I was not going to be. “Anna, sweetie, give Tristy the order,” I cooed into the psychopath divine spirit. And it gleefully obeyed me.

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  ? “Tristy, I command you to answer all of Saki’s questions completely and honestly! Also! Do it in your underwear and say how much you love to kiss Tama’s toes!” Anna said excitedly. I laughed at the last bit, it was so obvious in retrospect.

  I opened my mouth to ask my first real question, when a voice spoke up behind me. “What is going on, Saki? Tama is hungry!”

  I barely had time to say anything as I watched Tristy’s eyes become extremely hopeful. “Mistress Tama, I have cooked this fish for your pleasure!” She quickly pulled the cooked fish she had been making onto the clean plate from earlier and scurried over to Tama, ignoring me completely. She fell to her knees and took her stance from before.

  Tama was rubbing her eyes and stretching, her cat tail stiffening along with the rest of her body. She was in her underwear because Anna had jumped off of her to be with me. I tapped the little divine water spirit, and she giddily wrapped herself around Tama as her gi. I idly wondered the defensive rating for a water spirit gi?

  Tama looked at me, then Tristy. She glanced behind her, and for a moment, I thought she might try to run again. Thankfully, she did not. She seemed to consider for a moment before saying, “Nya! Tama will have this fish! You are a good slave, Tristy!” Tama then took the fish and ate the whole thing in one bite.

  She then said, “Tama is full now, Tristy, please go do slave things!” She struggled to find something, anything to say, and eventually just ended it on “slave things.” I held back laughter. I almost felt bad for the little elf girl.

  “What kind of slave things, my Mistress?” Tristy asked in an innocent, if hopeful, tone. It was clear to anyone, well, anyone except Tama, it seemed, that Tristy was practically begging to be used by Tama for something.

  I glanced over at Paige, her eyes went wide when I looked at her, and she looked to the ground. See, that made more sense. That is how a regular slave acted, doing their best to not draw attention to themselves. But Tristy clearly wanted Tama’s approval, and it was painfully obvious now.

  I had an idea that could make Tristy like me, make Tama feel better, and make my day more fun overall.

  “You know, Tama, Tristy here really looks up to you as her Mistress, she wants to feel needed. I think she needs training, like you trained me!” As I said this, glee entered me at the thought of what Tama was about to put that poor girl through. She wanted a dominant slave owner and approval? She was going to get it.

  Tristy looked puzzled, but Tama’s eyes lit up. “Nya! Tama would love to train Tristy! Tama’s Sensei taught her lots, and Tama is sure you will do great, even be as strong as Tama. Maybe even become a ninja and protect people!”

  Tristy looked lost, and I threw her a bone. “Oh, definitely, Tama, after all, as you are a ninja, and it is your job to protect people. Tristy, being your slave, and you being her mistress, that should be her goal too!”

  I watched it finally click in Tristy’s head, and I smiled. She looked at me not with anger now, but gratefulness.

  Tama, now excited, grabbed Tristy’s arm before asking, “What are your elements?” Tristy responded before the collar even lit up. “I am Fire and Air!” she said reverently.

  “Perfect!” Tama said excitedly. “Tama will start by teaching you to blink!”

  Tama took on a serious look that, in the right light, would look domineering, and I smiled. She was trying to emulate her Sensei. But that look could be taken an entirely different way. The way Tristy’s eyes practically glowed as she looked up at her Mistress said volumes.

  Good thing Tama did not read, I thought in amusement. Tama suddenly looked up to Paige and asked, “Paige, do you wish to be trained as a ninja as well?”

  Paige visibly paled and looked terrified. Then her collar lit up, and a moment later, her face was neutral. “I live to serve, Mistress Tama,” she said simply in a deadpan tone. I felt the pain from here. Tama did not and blinked over, grabbing Paige’s arm as well. “What are your elements?” Tama asked the near-tears elf woman.