[OOC: Since this is my first post with Adel, know that her nicknames are Neo and Coco. They're all the same person.]
History is the great equalizer when it comes to cultures, in my view; because, at one point or another, all cultures have their dark and golden ages. Take the Bor Seta people, for instance. Long before Katerina was even born, the Bor Seta were far less hospitable than the village people we know today. Their ancient ancestors kept slaves and were marauders roaming nomadically across the savannah. Very few relics remain from that violent era, mainly because the descendants did not wish to be reminded of their dark history. Most of them were the offspring between slave and shapeshifter too, so this selective blindness of theirs was understandable.
The slave collar that Katerina now found around her neck was a relic that had survived this historical purge, however. It had been brought to Salem thousands of years ago by a Bor Seta craftsman who had been murdered by an escaping slave, and only found its way into the hands of that hopeless alchemist, Bruno, a few days before Katerina arrived outside his shop. Her luck, it would seem, was astonishingly horrendous, especially since this collar could only be removed by the slave's master: which Katerina was sorely lacking.
Kiyomi's failure to remove the Hazan Slave Collar was, therefore, no surprise. No matter how much Katerina cried or Kiyomi pulled, that collar would never come off unless a certain trick was applied. In fact, it only got larger the more Kiyomi tugged. What was once only a necklace now quickly became a stiff, leather dog collar several layers thick and tall enough to hold Katerina's neck permanently straight. If my steward hadn't been in the ridiculing crowd, Miss Silverstein would have been stuck like that for a very long time.
It is worth mentioning one other thing about Salem at this point. Most newcomers often do not understand this, but the townspeople of Salem hold great reverence toward those they view as the most frightening of all. Scares were their craft, so anyone truly terrifying became an idol of the community. Adel, my steward, was one such role model, so there was a sense of awe that fell over the hecklers when she sauntered out from their midst.
Adel held a flare that was absent from most of the surrounding ghouls. Her pink, expensive clothes were a stark reminder of her outsider status, as were her unusual highlights. Yet she still carried herself like she belonged, swaying her hips back and forth sensually. Her quintessential parasol lay cleanly against her shoulder when she walked up to Katerina, and, true to form, she shooed the heckling crowd away with a simple wave of her hand.
My friend never spoke a word to Kiyomi or Katerina during those early moments of their meeting. She didn't need to talk to them to find out why they were there or why they were asking for me, for she had other methods at her disposal. Rather than waste her breath, my Adel kneeled down in front of Katerina and stared intently at her until she was ready to use her favored "interrogation technique."
"Marvelous red hair," the temptress whispered to the bound wolf whilst gently stroking a singular digit across her cheek. Charm magic was seeping into Katerina's skin with every movement, and soon the caster eased into her captive. She placed Katerina's head gently in her bosom at first, and then raised her face to French kiss her.
The kiss was long and deep: equal parts passion and utility. It was Adel's way of reading the minds of intruders, because lust and sexual contact made telepathy all the easier to execute. While her tongue intertwined with Katerina's, she was able to see everything relevant to the wolf's visit. She ended the kiss only when she was satisfied with these visions, making a comment before standing up and moving over to Kiyomi.
"Pliable and pregnant," she said, revealing both how Katerina enjoyed the kiss more than she would admit as well as how the wolf was currently pregnant. Adel's charm magic now left this bound creature in favor of the dragon standing next to her, and stone steps formed underneath her boots until their eyes met. The young girl's fists clenched as Neo kissed her the same way she had her mother, but the seductive stranger didn't care. She just combed through the girl's memories and then backflipped away before returning her aura to normal. Kiyomi received exactly the same courtesy as her mother, down to the after-kiss comment. "Innocent and defiant."
It was in that moment that the woman's parasol unfurled. The false moonlight overhead shown beautifully on the object's floral prints: its splendor only intensifying as Adel spun the images around behind her. Round and round the portrait landscape went, almost providing a hypnotizing effect to all those who watched. This was a spell: something that became inherently obvious when the town around the three women suddenly disappeared to be replaced by a luxurious parlor illuminated by a giant fireplace.
That new location was my study in Revaliir. My guests arrived to find me situated behind a desk reading a romance novel, but I largely ignored them until Adel flew onto my shoulder in the form of a green cheek conure. She whispered in my ear after her parasol was laid against the side of my desk, telling me all she had learned, and only her words broke my reader's trance.
"What have you brought me, Adel," I asked with mild disinterest? The spine of my novel creaked as I closed it, and my expression turned sour when I saw who was behind those pages. "Ah, these two." Leaning back in my chair, I looked squarely at the bound wolf who was most distressed. I saw the collar around her neck, and smirked at how fitting a punishment this new development was. "Still haven't learned to keep your nose clean, I see. Perhaps that Hazan Slave Collar and your encounter with the Mad Alchemist Bruno will serve as a firm reminder for next time. I doubt it, though. You seem so willing to follow a person who clearly doesn't want to be found. You're also pregnant, too, so either your sexual addiction has overcome you or you've a new shag partner I don't know about. Either way, you've a penchant for unfortunate events."
