The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

He’s gone.

What do you mean, “what”? The superhero. No, not the one in this year’s 51st Marvel movie. The one who got diced trying to rescue me. He’s gone.

Either he has a wicked but slow healing factor, or nope, not thinking about the alternative.

Oh, and the hole in the wall has been plugged. Or rather, the wall is back to pristine condition. Like nothing ever happened. Somehow, I don’t think that supports the healing factor theory.

So what now? Well, I have no idea what the etiquette is for Queen of Big Scary Castle, so how about we continue this story?

Lilith couldn’t keep her eyes off Janet. Her new form was strange, too extreme for a simple Dreamer...but damn if it wasn’t gorgeous. Naked, she was a model of dark beauty sculpted in Nature itself. Covering this vegetal beauty was a sin...but Janet no longer needed to. She could, after all, just grow her own clothes now. And she certainly did not pass on the opportunity.

Large, thick leaves covered her midsection like a free-moving angled skirt, and a bush of white orchids, in stark contrast with her mahogany skin, covered her bust like a tank top. She certainly wore less “clothes” than before jumping into the Dreamscape, but she was conservativaly dressed by neo-Santa Monican standards.

Yes, Lilith was entranced by her newly minted Mistress. Still, she couldn’t help but be very nervous. Not because of the mission—her Master had made sure she was safe, and she was pretty sure nothing could touch Janet in the state she was in. Because of the bike.

“Mistress?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you...sure about resigning from the Secret Service? Don’t you want to go back?”

“Go back to what? Water coolers and paperwork? Fuck that, I roll with the Dream now.”

“B...But...” Meekly protested Lilith. “What about your duty? You believe in Law and Order, right? You said it yourself, you work for the Man...”

“Yeah, well, the Man knows how to make a sister kick ass, but he doesn’t offer bitchin’ plant powers, so I’m afraid He’ll just have to deal.”

To illustrate her point, Orchid changed the color of her leafy hair, turning the reddish thick leaves into a deep electric blue. She chuckled for a moment, then turned them back to their original color.

“Fun times. On an unrelated note, how does this work anyway?”

The vampire raised her head.

“Wh...How does what work, Mistress?”

“The bike.” Clarified Orchid, squatting in front of the vehicle. “I mean, How do you make it so it doesn’t end up breaking down?”

“Oh, huh...for any piece of engineering to work in the Dreamscape, you have to Dreamshape it from scratch. Like, summon up every damn piece of the bugger. That’s why you have to be both a good Dreamshaper and a good engineer. Not a common pedigree, as you might imagine.”

“Yeah, I might. Ryûjin clearly has one in his employ though. A damn good one too, since he recreated my wristop computer.”

“Does it surprise you?”

“Surprise? Sorry, I’m done thinking about this geeky crap. Hop on.”

“...Yes, Mistress.”

The pretty vampire complied, though not without a apprehensive shiver. The bike itself looked thoroughly normal, as did Ryûjin’s garage, located just beyond the beach. Unfortunately, even a golf buggy was dangerous under Janet’s hands right now. Still, she sat on the passenger seat, and saw Orchid, her designated Mistress, turn her head back.

“By the way, I wasn’t serious about this Mistress crap back in the Sekigahara.”

“Alright, but...I cannot help it, Mistress. I am a slave now.”

“Hm. Noted. Oh, and hands off the boobs, lesbian.”

“I wasn’t thinking about it, Mis...”

Lilith’s voice was covered by the engine’s furious revving. She barely had time to wrap her hands around Orchid’s naked waist before they took off. She did not have the opportunity to notice Orchid had retracted her thorns. Then again, she probably wouldn’t have cared.

“WHAT THE SHIT?!”

This cry came from her heart, for her brain was too busy trying to get off in panic. Was that a sonic boom she heard?

“Ha ha ha! Going too fast for you, pansy?” Mocked Orchid.

“How fast are you bloody going?!”

“This thing doesn’t even have a speed meter! That engineer is awesome! Here’s my estimate, though: Fucking sweet miles per hour!“

“You are aware there’s a bloody wall around Santa Monica, right?!”

“I DON’T CARE!”

Her spleen and pancreas were booking their emergency flight as well. She had ridden quite a few bikes in her day, and in fact had treated traffic law as a mere suggestion, but the transformed secret agent was just pushing it. So much, in fact, that she barely needed Lilith’s reminder—the solid metal wall was already in sight.

“Brake! Brake, for fuck’s saaaaaake!”

Orchid’s only response was a crazed laughter. That was bad enough, but then she let go of the handlebars, throwing her hands behind her head. Lilith briefly found religion and closed her eyes, trying to improvise some kind of Kyrie Eleison for crash test dummies. She thus didn’t see Orchid throwing two seeds forward, or those seeds instantly germinating into a slope-shaped bush. Incredibly, it held under the bike’s weight and momentum, and it was sent flying over the wall.

“Awesome! AWESOME!”

As the ground-based missile was soaring five meters over the asphalt, the changed operative was ecstatic. The vampire, on the other hand, was unconscious.

“Hey, your delicateness! Wake up!”

Lilith opened her two main eyes. She was on the hard pavement, pain pulsing at the back of her skull. Her face contorted into a silent scream.

“Ow. Ow. Ow. OW.”

“Oh, come on,” groaned Orchid. “You faint during a big air and now you’re hurting from falling off your seat? Man, even dream vampires are pussies now.”

“Well excuse me! I’ve been attuned to an era where drinking was considered a breakthrough in women’s rights. I’m in no bloody shape to handle your foolishness.”

“Well, your vocabulary is even lamer than before, that’s for sure.”

The blonde rubbed her achy skull.

“Sorry, Mistress.”

She looked around. Wide, open roads, lots of vegetation, clean streets, neat buildings. There were some people around. Simple Dreamers, with run of the mill bodies, minding their own business. Amid the insanity of Hollywood, the permanent partying of Santa Monica, the austerity of Downtown and the squalor of the South city, there still were parts of Lost Angels that looked this tranquil, this...normal. And the biggest of those havens was...

“Wait, isn’t this Beverly Hills?”

“That it is, Lilith.”

“Huh...I don’t get it. Why stop here? Our mission is in Hollywood. I mean, I’d understand if you wanted to go to Pacific Palisades, but...”

“I dunno, I guess I felt like it. I’ve stopped with that “rescue from the Dream” crap too. A world this kickass? Why would anyone want to go back to reality? There’s just one problem left...But as soon as I make sure this Aspect bitch will leave me the fuck alone, I’ll find a nice place to live, and that will be the end of that.”

Lilith sighed.

“Well, crikey, I guess that does simplify things...And you’re probably right, you’ll have to deal with Pearl sooner or later. Anyway... Beverly Hills is a nice place, for sure. You might say it is the neutral zone between Santa Monica and Hollywood.”

“There’s a but, right? I mean, I did sense something out of place.”

“You would. I lived here when it all began. Pearl suddenly became this overwhelmingly gorgeous honey, and in the beginning, everything went like a charm. She scored the escort of a lifetime with a Russian industrialist, and we moved from Lennox to the Hills. Money still meant something back then.”

“Must have took a while before enough people found out you could just dream up Benjamins.”

“Quite right. In any case, even discounting what was happening to Pearl at the time, I soon found out that, while pleasant on the whole, this town is chock full of hidden dimensions. I don’t know why, maybe it’s because people always sought to build their perfect little haven there, but...this town is just layers upon layers, and some of them are as bad as Hollywood.”

Orchid looked around, seemingly intrigued.

“So you’re saying some of those nice villas back there could be entrances to Hell?”

“Yes, or something more creative, why not.”

“Sweet.” Chuckled the black woman. “I was right to stop here after all.”

“Hmm...Might I ask why?”

“I can’t go into Hollywood without testing my powers and Cantrip gun, Lil. I was planning to hunt myself some feral celebrities, but fucked-up pocket dimensions sound way more pleasant than capping wild reality TV starlets.”

The vampire raised an eyebrow, alarmed. Janet seemed to be only half-joking, if that.

“Why yes, I’m sure going in all guns blazing is a great way to find someone. And trust me, dear, those pocket dimensions are well hidden. Our Lord will lose patience well before you can find one.”

“Let’s go try at least. But I promise, if we stumble upon a Kardashian, we’ll bail before the event horizon of their vaginas traps u...”

Silence. Lilith felt something twitch.

“Waaaaait wait wait....Was that sarcasm?” Eventually asked Orchid. “I wasn’t hired to train love slaves, but I don’t think Ryûjin would like his newest one to have a willpower rebound.”

Slowly, a grave look on her face, the changed operative walked to Lilith. The busty blonde’s concerned frown quickly turned fearful. Orchid had clearly stated she didn’t care for this stuff, and now...? Did...did such an innocent jab provoke such a sudden change? Or...could it have been continually calling her Mistress ? What had she done?

“Yes...” Smiled Orchid, now clearly caring about that Mistress crap. “You still struggle, but we both know you’re a submissive one, aren’t you? And I didn’t know I was a dominant, but I think I like those twinkly puppy eyes of yours. Yes...we should take care of any bratty tendencies...” She purred, caressing the white flowers on her chest. “You won’t mind being kept nice and docile, would you?”

Lilith gulped. She knew she was a hopeless submissive, but as much as one part of her yearned to be put in her place after this outburst, she knew something was wrong. Orchid was being way into this. She was still unstable...and still within the Aspect’s reach.

“Listen, Janet...You’re still being influenced by...”

A mere finger on her lips sent her back into obedient silence.

“Nt nt nt. I know what’s happening in my mind, Lil. I know your old girlfriend still tries to subdue me. But don’t you think that dominating you is a good foil to that? Hmm?”

Lilith wanted to point out that dominant or not, acting slutty wasn’t, in fact, the way to go. But Orchid was a beautiful woman, and while she had recently reconciled with the male gender, she still was very much attracted to the fairer sex. So having Orchid emerge as a genuine Mistress sounded...no, felt great. She bowed.

“Mistress, I’m sorry. I forgot my place...I’ll be a good girl. You don’t have to...”

“To what? Make that docile little box of yours remind you how just much of a good girl you are?”

“I...”

Her words dried up as she realized Orchid was leading her to the grass. The few bystanders around definitely did not miss it.

“Wh...What are you...Aaah!”

Orchid’s dominance had made her wet, and now the sexy spriggan was reaching under Lilith’s glittery dress. Already the pleasure was clouding her mind. After Ryûjin, it was now Janet who was preying on her submission fetish, and despite being straight, she didn’t seem any worse at it. Her smile was triumphant yet kind, and she touched her quivering snatch like only her former lover could. In control as though she might have been, Orchid clearly had, in part, absorbed the Aspect into her being.

“This is a whole new world, Lilith. A whole new life...And I really like what I see. I’m not sure yet whether I’ll work for Ryûjin, the Anchored or someone else, but you’ve been a real useful cutie, and I just love what the Jap has done with you. I’m not giving up dick any time soon, but...damn, girl, those eyes are just asking me to claim you.”

“B...But...I belong to...”

“Ryûjin, yes...Maybe his interest in you will stay, maybe not...If not, I’m taking you aaall for myself...”

With a giggle, Orchid pushed Lilith to the ground, which sprouted beautiful flowers all around them. A small part of Lilith still wanted Orchid to snap out of it. Most of her disagreed vehemently. Her breath was ragged, her gaze fixated on Orchid’s. She was so intelligent, so talented with Dreamshaping...Why not her?

“But my Lord won’t be...”

“Shhhh...I’ve got the brainpower here, Lilith. What you are is beautiful, knowlegdeable and so, so sweet. You shouldn’t worry about who ultimately ends up your Master or Mistress. You know you’ll enjoy it no matter who it is, you naughty girl. The only things you need to think about is how much you love serving.”

“I...”

“Hush. I’m going to make you mine now.”

Lilith felt Orchid’s hands close on her ears. She wasn’t surprised by this move—everybody in the Dream could attempt to subjugate another mind this way. It was dangerous, though, since such a direct confrontation of wills accepts no stalemates. Danger of backfire reduced its use to no contests...And sadly, this was such a case. The blonde knew she was defeated even before the green light shone in her mind, accompanied by dozens of whispers.

She saw herself kneel in front of the black beauty, her subdued mind beckoning the promise of a life filled with love and pleasure, serving her Mistress and her boyfriend. Ryûjin promised endless pleasure and complete abandon, but Orchid promised love and belonging.

The vision continued as she saw her kneeling form being graced with the touch of her Mistress, and her body exploding in pleasure as it began to change once again. The gangs and third eye stayed, but everything else was covered in greenish white leaves and golden flowers. Once again, a quiet but stubborn voice of resistance rose up, but was smothered in the wonderful feeling of joining her Mistress in flowery beauty. In mind only for now, but she knew that if Ryûjin gave her up, she would change for real. Become Mistress’ vegetal servant, and be her helpful little lily forever.

A calm, loving smile was born on her lips as the delicious prospect made her yielding mind cease her token resistance. She added yet another law into her Anchor, and, for the third time in her young life, accepted someone’s deranged will as her own. Her glossy pink lips started to chant the whispers silently. Orchid, equally entranced, lowered herself and shared with those obedient lips the first sapphic kiss of her life.

“Huh...Sorry, ladies, but...hmm...”

Orchid turned around, only to see a ghost. A small, pudgy, rather reassuring ghost floating over the pavement in its less than glorious transparency. His cheeks weren’t red, but he did otherwise appear rather flushed.

“Don’t worry, dude.” Winked Orchid. “My friend here just needed to relax a bit. She fell of a motorbike after all...You’re alright, Lily?”

She removed her hands from Lilith’s ears, and the green light receded. The blonde’s eyes fluttered, looked around in confusion, then met Orchid’s gaze. Her face lit up in an overjoyed, almost euphoric smile. And then, in a dreamy voice...

“Mistress!”

“Yes, Lily. Do you feel better?”

“Oh, yes! What I feel for you now, my Mistress...I really am hopeless!”

“Good girl. Show me your love.”

Lilith obeyed with all her heart, reaching for her Lady’s lips and tenderly locking her hands behind her back. All concerns vanished, her heart and mind only guided by overflowing, subservient love, she...

The ghost cleared his throat.

“Once again, really sorry but...”

“Urgh.” Groaned Orchid, eyes to the sky. “Dude, can’t you see I’m having a moment with my threesome partner over here?”

“Yes, but, huh, your moment has kinda...well, stirred something bad.”

Orchid frowned. The hell was he talking about? She noticed the ectoplasmic geek point ahead, to the Northern suburbia. Just across the street, smack in the middle of posh houses, was a thick, flowing mist above what appeared to be a small lake.

“...Oookay. Lilith, what the hell is this?”

“Well, it’s one of Beverly Hill’s layers, Mistress!” Answered the blonde. “I never saw that one, though.”

“Good thing you didn’t, miss.” Intervened the ghost. “Trust me, it’s bad.”

“How bad?” Politely asked Lilith as Orchid was caressing the handle of her Cantrip gun.

“Well, I never went through that misty lake myself, but it seems to appear when gangsters or dudebro douchebags come around. They cross the water, and they never come back. The self-defense force always try to find them afterward, but so far...nothing turned up.”

Lilith turned to Orchid.

“The self defense force has some pretty skilled hunters, so it’s saying something.”

“Yep.” Confirmed the Ghost. “Have to be with Ryûjin and the Aspects surrounding us. Anyway, it’s strange...You’re the first women to ever summon this thing. Which probably explains why there aren’t any attractive girls to lure the douchebros in.”

“Women? Like Changelings?” Asked Orchid, twinkles in her eyes.

“Like that, yeah.”

“Fuck yeah! A mysterious dimension with Changelings and vanishings? This shit is exactly what I need! Chill ’em love handles out, dweeb. I’m on the motherfucker.”

Ooookay, well how’s that for something completely different? Janet’s not Changeling crazy, but...well. Call me Kingdomist, but plants always struck me as more composed than animals.

Aaand that was a freaking taxonomy joke. Goddamit, Drac.

So, action movie-obsessed secret agents aside, the castle’s nice, once you shake the feeling of being followed my monsters. It’s not Versailles or anything, but everything from the architecture to the upholstery breathes nobility. Creepy nobility, but still. I’d pay to visit. I didn’t find any kitchens yet, but then again I haven’t been hungry since I fell asleep. I’ll go downstairs when I’m done with this floor. I have to get out, after all...I’m just not that eager to see the Dreamscape in person.

I found a window to the outside world. Since this is my fucking dream, I expected the glass to break when I imagined it to, but no. Somehow, the whole castle is immune to my oneiromancy. Or Dreamshaping, as my victims called it. Again, this is MY dream, so being unable to influence it is pretty disturbing.

Speaking of disturbing...I’d really love to ignore it, but the more I think about it, the fewer doubts I have. The female voice, the one who hissed “I’ll save you, your majesty” before the superhero was killed?

It definitely belonged to one of my friends I was traveling with. Mindy. She can’t be a Changeling...not her. Not her, goddamit.

An imagined vessel slowly cut through the mist, toward an unknown but almost certainly dangerous destination. It had a simple wooden hull, but was propelled by two rotating blades of grass. It seemed vulnerable to underwater attacks, but Orchid was vigilant ready to unleash enough thorns on any merman attacks to invent the sea-hedgehog.

Lilith sure wasn’t worried. She cuddled with her newfound Mistress, feeling as safe as she could possibly get under Her protection. She was more than capable of fighting, but she didn’t want to anymore. Being the protectee felt amazing. The warden had embraced her inner ward, and didn’t want to let go, as much as her residual pride screamed for it.

“Hey, slave.” Her Mistress’ words made her open her eyes and look upwards with a smile. “Can you drink my blood now that it’s sap?”

“Probably, Mistress. The Dream warps us, but it is almost nothing but a matter of appearance. Our minds interacts with the weave, not our bodies.”

“But you see through your third eye, right?”

“Yes. Which is why I said almost nothing—everybody has one or two unique quirks not linked to Dreamshaping or Conjuration. That’s the Anchored power, by the way. I can see with my eye and command peace around me. Your quirk is probably the memory-revealing pollen.”

“I agree. It kind of came up naturally, as opposed to creating vines and stuff. Anyway, you can drink if you’re hungry.”

The vampire giggled.

“Thank you Mistress, but I can eat normally. Though I have been turned, I never really embraced vampirism. And no,” she continued, seeing the interrogation in Orchid’s eyes. “Not every Dream form comes from an inner desire. You’re a shining example after all. Willing vampires can infect you with their dream form, but you only take on most attributes if you embrace it.”

“I see...interesting. That explains why you’re immune to sunlight.”

“I’m not, Mistress. You just changed your personal time to day. It’s still midnight for me. Always is.”

There were caveats, of course, such as the moment Orchid herself was transformed, when the Dream became immune to all shaping attempts, but Lilith figured her Mistress didn’t need to burden herself with such details. After all, she seemed to have so much fun switching from day to night to day again.

“I fucking love this world.” Beamed Orchid, flicking her finger back and forth. “So anyway, who turned you? The Aspect? Griffith?”

“Oh, no...Ma...Griffith is a vampire, yes, but my Sire is a third party. I was a known fighter at the time, I suppose I looked like a good candidate for a vampire clan. They were not without arguments, but I did not give them the opportunity to indoctrinate me.”

“I bet the thought made you real wet, though, you naughty girl.” Chuckled Orchid.

Flustered, the blonde let her cheeks answer in her stead. She would have reminisced that past, when she was more ready to deal with her fetish alone in her bed than act upon it, but...

“Hold on, Lil. Something’s up ahead.”

She followed Orchid’s hand, and, indeed, saw something through the fog. An island, predictably enough. A nice, normal island with a beach shore and a wooden pier. But as their boat came closer, they saw something far more extaordinary.

“Wow. And they call the Tower of Pisa a landmark.”

A train...floating in the air. Two cars were resting on the ground like good multiton behemoths should, but the rest of the train rose in the air in wild, tangled pattern. This time, even Lilith was amazed.

“Goodness. For all the ways our world is twisted, gravity itself remains fairly consistent...only a lot of Changelings could bend it so. Please be careful, Mistress...”

“That’s not what I had in mind, but zero-G on land is like space without the boring. Prepare to dock!”

Orchid held Lilith tight and gave her boat a sudden acceleration. Just before hitting the shoreline, she made a sharp turn left, sending the ship spinning over the sand. She couldn’t, after all, let the Changelings even entertain the idea that she gave even a single fuck.

And when she heard the sound of clapping, Orchid knew they were dealing with fine, connoissing individuals. She turned around, bowed and proudly, tastelessely announced...

“Thank you! I call it the 2011 Tokyo Drift.”

With a shit-eating grin, she then looked to her audience. A stunningly beautiful redhead with a skimpy maid uniform and a decidely doll-like look about her. Her articulations were doll joints, her skin porcelain. She stopped clapping and bowed.

“That was. Endeed an impressive. Entrance.” Answered the maid with a smile as fixed as her rythm was chaotic. “And so I bid. You Welcome to. Mistgem Island. We are glad that. You accepted our invitation. Inviting fellow women is ra. Ther out of protocol.”

“Huuh...Yeah, so I gathered. You normally send sexy sirens out there, right?”

“Quite right, Madam. Our clientele. Tends to lack in. Adventuring spirit. In any event, you are. Our honored guests. Today. Please follow me.”

And with this, the maid turned around and tiptoed on her shiny high heels to the first train car. Orchid frowned and focused her senses. No mistaking it...if her strange, mechanical tone wasn’t indication enough, the air shimmered around her, stirred from her mere presence. She was a Changeling. Which, in a fucked-up place such as this, wasn’t any wonder.

“Do you remember how I called the Changelings in Master’s employ ‘Ogres’, Mistress?” Orchid nodded. “Well, we call material-based Changelings like her Constructs. They’re about the most civil, but tend to have the best transformation abilities.”

“Noted. Tell me I’m right to think your old girlfriend is behind this, Lily.”

“You are, Mistress. But...you know...Pearl’s so clingy. I just can’t imagine her sending subordinates to subdue prey in her stead.”

“So that’s a diplomacy call, isn’t it? Christ, that’s so lame, I think a thousand of fireworks just turned into silly string.”

They nonetheless chose to follow the maid. Orchid wouldn’t waste the opportunity of going into a zero-G train for the world, and Lilith wouldn’t fail to follow her Mistress for two, maybe three worlds.

As soon as they passed the threshold, it became apparent that the train was of the luxury variety. There were only a few single seats, and a crimson-themed persian mat, elaborate enough to make Cannes look like a big pile of shit, covered the length of the entire car. And somehow, this wasn’t even supposed to be the main event, since the maid breezed through it and invited Lilith and Orchid to follow her into the next car.

Which was, by far, more luxurious than the first. The seats were leather sofas placed around a long mahogany table in the center. And facing them with a welcoming smile was a beautiful woman with a skin of pure, translucent silver, tinted all over in various colors, and pure gold hair. Another Construct, then. She welcomed them with a bow.

“Welcome to Mistgem Isl...”

“Yeah, yeah, we know.” Dimissed Orchid. “Thanks, delighted, all that crap. I’ve got two questions for you.”

“I’m listening.” Replied the Changeling, unfazed.

“First: What do you do with all the men you lure here?”

Lilith smiled. That tone...Janet was back. Well, she hadn’t really gone anywhere, she just let her wild side call the shots. Fortunately, even transformed she still seemed to be all about Serve and Protect. The silver Changeling laughed softly.

“Fu fu fu...We wouldn’t want to answer that question, that would spoil the mood...”

“Hmpf. Figures. Question two: Are you going to deny you’re working for the Aspect of Lust, or can I go straight to kicking your ass?”

Both Changelings giggled.

“We won’t de. Ny it.” Answers the maid. “But you needn’t worry. About us. Our Lady of Lust knows you’re coming to. Her. We assure you, this invitation. Is mere courtesy.”

“COURTESY?!”

Orchid punched the table, making thick, thorny vines grow all over its shiny surface.

“You and your mistress are a disease of the mind. I barely escaped from her influence, only to find that I can’t fucking control myself anymore! I’m not coming to the Aspect. I’m bringing her war, and you bring biscuits and pleasantries? Listen, bitch, you’ve been kidnapping people, so either you bring them here now and get the fuck out of Beverly Hills, or I’m killing every last one of you.”

Silence. Their hosts seemed too lost to Nightmare to let such an intimidation upset them. To drive the point home, Orchid took the Cantrip gun out of its holster. The luminous slits in its barrel shone brightly. The Changeling cocked her head backwards.

“Yes, that would indeed affect us. However...”

Calmly, the chromatic woman turned to Lilith.

“There are things you haven’t told her about this world, have you, dear?”

“Of course I did not tell her everything.” Answered the blonde. “How could I? She’s been here for less than ten hours. Counting adventuring, that’s just enough time for the basics. Besides, I don’t fancy speaking about your sorry lot.”

“I gathered that, Lil. So, what did you not tell me?” Asked Orchid.

Lilith took a deep breath, a somber look on her face as, conversely, the silver woman’s turned into a predatory grin.

“Changelings can be hurt by Cantrips, but they are irremediably linked to the Dream itself. They’re immortal.”

Oh, yeah, by the way. They’re immortal. That world’s just the gift that keeps on giving, isn’t it? Come from the sights, stay for the unkillable psychos.

“Oh...oh shit.” Dramatically whispered Orchid. “You...you mean I can shoot them but the will always keep coming back, invincible, relentless, like nightmares come to life? I...”

Orchid’s head fell down. She tightened her grip on her gun, discouraged...Right before she took aim to the silver-skinned Construct, grinning like a maniac.

“What’s the catch?!”

Bang. A bolt of light surrounded by rings pierced the Changeling’s skull, sending her head backward. The shining rings then gathered to the bolt’s tip, then violently hammered down. It sent a shockwave that Lilith and Orchid could feel in their stomachs. And then...an explosion of colors. It was as if a balloon full of ink had burst open, only to merge with the air around it. Mere seconds after the shot, it was as if the Changeling had never been there, yet the echo of her mocking laughter pierced the silence.

“Oh, you bad girl. Give me a couple minutes and I’ll make you behave...”

“Sorry, I don’t speak ass-kicked bitch.”

Orchid turned around and shot the maid, who prompty exploded into porcelain limbs and sprockets.

“Sweet!”

She spun her pistol, blew onto the nuzzle, then turned to Lilith.

“You stay here. I’m gonna play a game with these girls. It’s called “How funny can you die?". I know your pretty little head can kick ass, but I’ve really got to vent. If you get captured and net me a kickass tense rescue moment, I’ll make it worth your while.”

“By your will, Mistress.” Bowed the blonde with a calm, joyous smile. “Enjoy yourself out there.”

“Oh, absolutely.”

Lilith saw her Mistress walk around the table and take the door at the end of the car. The next one was angled upwards, leading to the full-on gravitational chaos above them. Orchid entered it and seemed to walk normally, as if she was sporting gravity boots.

Soon, she heard further gunshots and laughter, both mocking and excstatic. She looked to the window and indeed saw flashes of light from the Cantrip gun. How many Changelings were there? Were the abducted men even there anymore? Lilith ultimately had to chase those questions out of her mind—her Mistress doesn’t want her to worry her pretty little head, after all. So she waited.

Not for a terribly long time either. A mere two minutes later, she saw the air fill with colors, and the Changeling coalesce back together. She smiled.

“Welcome back.”

“Fu fu fu...Aren’t you afraid? You’ve become so frail and helpless.”

“I might indeed be helpless.” Calmly answered the vampire with an understated smile. “But I know you will not hurt me. Pearl would never forgive you.”

“Of course. You are the one we invited after all. That unpleasant woman is simply a bargaining chip against the Normals...But tell me. Did you enjoy getting your mind broken by a filthy misogynistic jap?”

An insult to her Master! As Lilith repressed a hateful frown, she heard something scrape behind her. It was the doll’s broken parts, putting themselves back together.

“My Master tells me what to enjoy. His caprices are my Law and Anchor. I am His more than I ever was Hers.”

“Tsk tsk. This can’t do. You cannot ignore your true self. However smothered it may be.”

“But I do, and with all my might.”

“Oooh...Really?”

The Changeling snapped her fingers, and gem-like shackles formed around Lilith’s wrists. She instinctively tried to conjure her Anchored powers to dispel them, but shocked herself back into passivity when she remembered her standing orders. She would not deprive her Mistress of a kickass rescue.

“See? There’s still a spark. Don’t worry...As you put it, our Lady of Lust will not permit anyone here to hurt you. On the contrary...The Changelings you despise so much shall be your freedom.” She then looked behind Lilith. “Are you quite finished, Chamberlaine?”

The doll maid’s reformed body stood up and took the shattered pieces of her head. She reassembled it with no effort, then screwed it back on her neck without so much as a groan.

“I am now. Chroma. Let’s go. The Madame awaits.”

As Orchid’s blazing gun still sounded in the distance, the mechanical maid bound Lilith’s arms behind her back, and the silvery woman pulled the emergency alarm. The vampire raised an eyebrow, wondering what the toss that was supposed to do. The answer, somehow, was “kinda like in a regular, speeding train”. Indeed, the Island landscape, which had been static all this time, went into motion in an instant. Lilith turned around. The other side of the train wasn’t moving an inch. She saw the island, immobile. But the right side...was speeding. On the water, no less. The misty lake.

They were definitely in Changeling territory. She had seen some weird stuff in the Dreamscape, but this...

As she shock sank in the young Anchored, the train softly hit the brakes. It slowed down as it landed on another island, and finally came to a stop...in front of a nice, luxurious mansion.

“Oh, my. Bad.” Chirped the maid. “It’s Mistgem Islands.“

Lilith was worried now. Mistress couldn’t know about the other island...She looked to the back of the train, and saw the door shut.

“Oh, bugger.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll be glad to be separated from her for a while. Come.”

They pushed her out of the car, overpowering her meek resistance. Lilith knew she had to do something. But which one of her Conjurations could help her? She could protect herself from the sun, imbue a weapon, heal her own wounds...make a circle of protection, too, but it wouldn’t do much good now that they were on her. Her only hope was to find a Foxhole, but...

In front of them, the manor’s door opened. Someone came out.

“I’m so glad to see you, sweetie. It’s been too long...”

Someone Lilith would recognize through any transformation.

“M...Mom?!”