The Great Inauguration (Zoe in the Dragonmaid Château)

"Beat our game and win an amazing prize." That was what was written on the flyer that Zoe found posted on the announcement board. The promise of an amazing prize for anyone who could beat a 3 days game. It sound simple enough and, if it was money, Zoe could definitely use it. She and Eri had enough for a living with the money that Zoe was making everyday doing odd jobs here and there but, if this prize was that amazing, maybe this could set them for a long time... Maybe even for life! The flyer also said that one could ask without attachments so, maybe, she could go and get some information. Not much to lose, right?

It was pretty early in the morning, Zoe was feeling a bit nervous and started asking question to herself. What if it was a scam? What if it was a shakedown? What if it was dangerous? These questions and more started filling the wolf girl's mind, she didn't even realize she had arrived at the place. An elegant mansion, built on the outskirts of town, with a great view of the cliff. The sound of waves could be heard from the nearby sea as well. The mansion looked well maintained, many windows, open allowing the light of the beautiful morning to go in. The main door on the other hand, remained closed, maybe she had to knock...

Zoe took a deep breath, getting her bearings.

Was it shady? Absolutely. No details, no information, no note on the reward...everything would normally show this as a terrible idea. But, Zoe was unfortunately somewhat desperate: money was tough this last month. Jobs were scarce...they always were around this time of year. Other opportunities might not come around anytime soon. They could afford to just sit around and wait. Zoe had to do something.

And if it was a trap, so what? If it was a shakedown, she stabs a few people, reports them to the people that run things around here and gets at least something out of it. Not a lot, but it wouldn't be wasted. She wasn't worried about herself. And it definitely wasn't targeted at her, so she could rule that out. And, if it really was some large reward...it'd be worth the risk, wouldn't it? Especially coming from a mansion this large and extravagant. And yet...despite that, she couldn't help but feel a little apprehension.

Without warning, she slapped the side of her cheek, the slight pain enough to get her senses going and physically shaking off her worry, as she looked for how to start all of this. In front of the door was a large, detailed knocker...good a place as any. Lifting it with both hands (it was surprisingly heavy), she knocked it against the door once, then twice. No going back now...

The knocks on the door were pretty loud. After couple more, just for good fashion, the doors opened and a little head peeked through the opening. "Hmm? Oh! A guest! Oh, oh! One moment please!" The doors closed again and Zoe could swear she was hearing a lot of movement coming from the inside. Maybe she had come too early? When she was about to knock again, the doors opens wide, revealing the beautiful interior of the mansion and the same little figure that had opened the door before stood next to it. "Please, please. Come in, come in!" Now Zoe could see her clearly. A young girl, with draconic features: horns and a big, fuzzy tail. She had light blue hair and was dressed as a maid, her outfit matching her hair.

Honestly, she was just happy someone answered the door. The worst thing in the world would have been after all this if no one would be home. Her ears perked up as she listened to the sounds behind the door. Zoe's senses were enough to pick up quite a bit of movement...at least three...probably more than three. They were all moving at once, so it was harder to pin down...

And then all at once, the door swung open. The inside was just as extravagant as the outside, looking like nothing she'd ever personally had before. She had seen things like this, though, but it was attached to places she was never allowed in. Her footsteps sounded out with each step on the marble floor, with every feature of the room looking more luxurious than the last. And waiting for her was the same face that had greeted her at the door...she looked young, genuinely. She was probably close to Zoe's age, probably a little younger. There was a lot to take in right away. First, was the outfit: no doubt one of the maids of some place this big. She was really young for it, though. Second, was the draconic features: she'd seen Dragon Midara before, so it's not like they weren't a thing, but her features were certainly striking.

"H-Hi..." Zoe cleared her throat, hoping to not look too mousey. Best thing she could do was look confident (as best as she could, anyway). First place to start: figure out what she was even doing here. "I...I saw your flier, and...I-I wanted to be sure that this wasn't, like...y'know, a trick or anything, and...if not, ask, how I can...compete, and all that stuff..." She was not doing a good job, but she was trying, as she presented the flier to the smaller girl.

The blue haired girl took the pamflet that Zoe was offering her. "I knew it! You are here for the game! Yay!" The girl was pretty excited when a more calm and soft voice spoke. "Welcome, dear guest." Another woman, dressed as a maid and with dragon features approached. She had piercing green eyes, black and red horns and a long black tail with some red bits. "Please, allow me to explain. Philia, please go wait with the others." The young girl refered as Philia nodded and ran all the way to the main hall, going out of sight from the entrance. "First of all, once again, welcome to our humble above. My name is Hara, I am the head maid of this manor. The young girl that greeted you before is Philia."

Thanks to her sharp eye, the maid noticed Zoe's apprehension. "Please. Relax, there's nothing to be afraid of here." The taller woman gestured to a nearby table with a couple of chairs and some papers on it. "Please, take a seat." She sat down on one end of the table, waiting for Zoe to do the same on the other side. "Fist of all. I know this whole game situation sounds... Suspicious, to say the least, but I can assure you. There's nothing wrong going on and the prize is real. If there is anything else you wish to know, please, ask away."

Another dragon person...it was fine with just the one, but two was a little too much of a coincidence. The mood from this "Hara" was entirely different from the one that greeted her. She was calm, composed, and some of that felt like it transferred over to Zoe just from speaking to her. She couldn't blame her for noticing her worry; try as she might, she wasn't great at hiding it. But, she did take her offer to sit, taking a deep breath to calm herself down.

"S-Sorry...I'm not too good with things when I don't really know what to expect. Usually I'm better than this, honest!" She tucked her hair behind her ear with a nervous chuckle, trying to do what she could to relax. She was already doing a little better, at least. It seemed way too involved to be a trap by this point. "The girl, Philia...she said this was a 'game', right? The flier didn't really give a whole lot of detail...what exactly am I gonna be...doing, on this game?"

"If you wish, I could procure you a cup of tea. We have mixtures that are good to calm the nerves." Hara's tone was clear and sincere and something about her composed nature was... Nice. "This game is a challenge, sort of speak." The woman took a moment to adjust her glasses while her keen eyes were always locked on Zoe's. "Basically, guests need to spend three days and three nights here in the manor. We accept from one to three 'players' although I prefer to call them guests, more respectful, me and the other maids will issue challenges or games..." Hara mentioned other maids and this made Zoe wonder how many more they were in here. "If you pass a game, you win a point. If you pass a challenge, you win three points. On the morning of the fourth day, the points are tallied and then, if you have at least ten points, you pass to the final test. If you don't, you'll be offered the consolation prize which, I'm afraid, just as the big prize must remain a secret until the game is over." Hara explained every detail with a clear voice, taking her time to give Zoe enough window to understand or even ask if neccesary.

From the end of the hallway, if looked closely enough, one could see a familiar blue haired head peeking out and looking curiously towards Zoe's direction. It would seem that the young girl was pretty interested in Zoe, maybe curious, or maybe she was excited about the game.

Three days and three nights...hopefully Eri wouldn't be too worried. That was quite the challenge to take on, that was for sure. "I-If you're offering, I wouldn't mind some tea..." She was originally going to ask if she could know what the prize was, but it seems like no matter what that has to be hidden. A consolation prize, at least, was nice to hear, though. No matter what happens, she'd walk out of here with something. Her gaze went over to where she felt like she was being watched, her senses sharp enough to notice. That same girl...there was something about her enthusiasm that was contagious. Zoe's tail wagged in her direction at a little wave, her ears flopping down on their own as she did. The people here were...strange, but welcoming. Comforting, almost.

At Zoe's request, Hara nodded and clapped. Another woman with dragon features and dressed as a maid came in pushing a cart with a tea pot and cups. This time, this woman had a bright red hair, it was pretty beautiful and reminded Zoe of Eri, since the fox girl had the same tone of red hair as the new maid. Her tail was the same tone of red as her hair and her horn had a cerulean tone. "She is Ruby. She's in charge of the kitchen and is an excelent chef." Hara introduced the new maid who gave Zoe a graceful bow befoe serving her some tea. The tea had a sweet scent and it was so warm that it was comforting.

The red haired maid awaited for Zoe to take a sip at it, she looked expectant, as if she was waiting for Zoe to give her the approval. "Please, enjoy the tea. It's freshly brew." The red haired maid spoke, she had a really pretty voice, befiting her looks.

A third, now...this had to be a theme. Quite a theme, too. She couldn't help but be reminded of Eri at one glance to the newcomer, with the colors being identical. It put Zoe at some degree of ease, unintentionally. "N-Nice to meet you." For a moment, Zoe wasn't sure whether to bow back, or respond, or what, but before she could, she was presented with her own cup of tea. Just the smell of it was entrancing, like a warm hug from that alone. If this was her craft, then she figured the best way to show her appreciation was to have that first taste, so she wasted no time to have a small sip.

"W-Wow..." A little blush crossed her cheeks after the first taste, and that plus the look on her face said so much without her needing to even say a word. For just a small moment, a look of bliss crossed her face, her ears flopping to the sides without a care in the world. Good food and drink was very, very hard to come by for her. After a moment, those same wolf ears sprang up as she realized she had zoned out for a moment. "I-I-It's great! I...I love it. Thank you." Zoe was definitely not used to being pampered in such a way. She couldn't deny it felt nice, though.

"With everything you've mentioned so far, I've got just...one question." She took one more sip for bravery, before looking Hara back at her own piercing gaze. "I've...got someone waiting for me at home. They probably don't know I'll be gone for three days. If I said yes...would I be allowed to at least...send letters to them, and have them delivered? I feel like if I just vanished for three days without them knowing I was gone, they'd probably assume the worst...and, hearing back from them would make me comfortable, too. Sorry if...that's a little extra work, than you were expecting..."

"Ah. I'm so glad you like it, dear guest. Please, enjoy it to your heart's content." The red haired maid had a radiant smile on her face after hearing Zoe's praise. She took the cart and headed back the way she came, her tail wagged happily revealing how happy the maid was.

"Of course. They shall be delivered with haste, do not wory about it. You might even invite them to come over. They do not need to participate on the game if they come as companions." The woman pointed at a little box next to the door. "Please leave any letter you wish to send in that mail box over there and we'll make sure they get delivered without a doubt. We'll also make sure to deliver personally to you any mail that could arive at your name." The head maid adjusted he glasses again. "Is there any other question you wish to ask?"

Well, there was her answer. She could let Eri know remotely how things were going, so there wasn't any worry. And they'd detailed that a consolation prize was the failure, but hadn't listed and 'punishment' or anything of the sort. It seemed...very open. And not in the 'too open' way that got her concerned. She thought about bringing Eri here, if people could be brought along regardless of the challenge, but...something stopped her. Maybe she simply wanted to do this on her own power. Maybe she just didn't want anything to happen to her. It was hard to tell, but it was good enough as is. Just the thought of hearing back from her day by day, that could keep her going. And she'd come back with something special to show her.

"In that case..." She took the last sip of her tea. "My name is...Zoe. And...I'd like to participate in these 'games', if you'll have me, miss Hara." Better to throw herself out in the open to potentially fail, than walk away without even giving it a shot. She was in it for the long haul, now.

The head maid nodded at Zoe's agreement. "Before we proceed to confirm your participation, there is one last thing I must inform you of." She stood up and gestured Zoe to follow her. "Please, this way." She walked away from the door and towards the main hall. Upon arriving, Zoe could see the rest of the maids living in the mansion. Besides Hara, Zoe could recognize the red haired maid that served her the tea and the yough blue haired maid that welcomed her when she first came in. There, she could also see another three maids, all of them with draconic features: one with pink hair, with matching pink tail and nurse uniform. One green hair gatheed in a couple of pig tails, and the last one with platinum hair, and dressed in black to match her black tail. All of them were there with their eyes closed and waiting for commands.

Hara stood in the middle, her gaze still locked on Zoe. "Some of the games have a more... Adult nature, of course you won't be forced to play those games or challenges, although, the final test will require for you to test your will against our charms." The maids looked at Zoe and all gave her a graceful bow, with the little Philia having a little trouble and almost falling but luckily, the pink haired dragon girl catched her before she did. "We wish you to know, that nothing will happen were you to fail, and as soon as you feel better you'll be able to leave. We do not wish to trap anyone against their will or make them our thralls." Finally, the woman's face that had remained stone cold formed a gentle smile. "And now that you know this. Would you still like to take part on our game, dear guest? If you don't feel comfortable with the test of wills part of the game, you are free to leave at any time even when the game has already began."

She definitely recognized a few of them. Everyone...everyone was dragons. Alright. Zoe would roll with that. The two of them she had already met were there, along with a few others of varying sizes. They didn't seem...all that bad. Zoe had to admit to herself that all of this was a lot to take in, especially the idea of some more...'adult' scenarios, as Hara had put it. She instinctively bit her lip.

Zoe was mostly confident in her own abilities. And, it's not like Midara were uncommon. The types that throw themselves at you with charms and magic and wiles until you just stop fighting and let them win. She knew what that was like...she had been on the receiving end of it at least a few times, by now. It wasn't entirely pleasant memories. And yet, the mood she got from all of them was so different than all of that. Things were different, now. When the group bowed in her direction, she shakily tried to bow back, mimicking their movement. Not quite as graceful as the group, but the intent was there.

Although she had been apprehensive, Hara's soft smile was met with a small one of Zoe's back. "I...I'm an adult, too...barely, but still! And, I'm in this, come hell or high water. If I walked out, just because of something like that...well, I'd feel worse about that, anyway. Both for going home from that...and for wasting your time. I'm all in, even with that. But...thank you, for warning me."

"It is part of our duties. We do not wish to force anything upon anyone who doesn't want to. Now, without futher delay..." Hara walked across the main hall, stopping at the middle. At her signal, the rest of the maids lined up beside her and, once all together, offered another graceful bow at Zoe. "Welcome. To our humble abode. We expect that you enjoy our game, dear guest, as this is the big inauguration, you shall receive a free point out of the bat. Feel free to explore the manor to your heart's content and, above all, we expect you have a pleasant stay." After her speech, Hara gestured the maid dressed in black to step forward. "This is Sylvia. She is in charge of the sleeping quarters and will take you the room you'll be using during your stay. If there is anything you need, please do ask and, if it is in our power, we will try to fullfill your desires, Mistress Zoe."

The rest of the maids, with the exception of Sylvia who remained with Hara, went back to their duties around the manor. The youngest looking one did so while curiosly observing Zoe until she left the main hall. It was obvious that the young maid was curious about her. "Mistress Zoe?" The maid in black called for Zoe's attention. "Please, follow me this way." She gestured towards the stairs and awaited for Zoe to follow her.

So this was it. A three day trial, with a prize at the end. And she already had one point's worth! Zoe made a mental note of everything she had seen so far. Ten points to victory, and things could get a little...adult, as Hara had put it. She'd have to be ready for anything. She had already met about...half. Hara had this level of preparedness that made it feel like she had everything figured out just from a glance. Ruby...she hadn't seen her for very long, but she looked very gentle. And Philia had been watching her every so often. Maybe it was just childlike curiosity? If she wanted to know more, maybe that'd be a good first stop if she was allowed to explore freely.

"N-Nice to meet you." And then there was Sylvia. Something about her was somewhat...imposing, she thought. It was hard to put into words, but she seemed very small in comparison to her, and it wasn't quite on the physical sense. She hurried behind her as she led the way, making her way up the steps. "So, the big inaguration...so I'm the first person to do all of this? That's a little exciting...makes me a bit nervous, but there's something exciting about that, too, I think...have you guys been preparing this for a long time?"

Sylvia dutifully guided Zoe through the manor's hallways. "Yes, Mistress Zoe, it is our grand opening and as such, a big festivity for us and for you." The wolf girl could feel the maid's gaze on her. "I must say, Mistress, you are rather cute... The type I like too~" They finally arrived at what would be Zoe's bedroom for the duration of the game.

The maid's words were pretty much still on Zoe's mind. They had a teasing tone that, for someone like Zoe, it was pretty powerful. "We have arived, Mistress. This shall be your room." The maid opened the door, revealing a pretty lavished room: a big soft bed, a table with some chairs, personal bathroom, some bookcases and wardrobes. "Is there anything else you wish, Mistress? Maybe some company~?"

Well, no doubts about it to Zoe. This Sylvia...she was dangerous. Exactly the type of person she was never really prepared for, as the blush on her face and the fact that her ears went up at attention showed. Zoe's own body betrayed how she felt about any given scenario, no matter how well she might be able to hide it, normally. Already getting hot under the collar this quickly...just think of Eri, think of her happy face when she'll get back...

Luckily, the room was enough to pull her back into reality a bit, although it certainly didn't feel like her reality. She'd had her own room back home, because of how well she did, but even that didn't compare to what she was looking at right now. This was her room! It'd take a bit for that to really sink in. She absolutely had to bring Eri with her here after this was over. "W-Whoa...t-this is mine...?"

And then she was ripped right back into it at hearing Sylvia's voice. "Ah...uh...um...that's..." The blush was making it harder for her to get out words, as it did. Zoe was already looking like she was close to overheating, and was having trouble getting out what she wanted to say. "N...N-Not yet...j-just give me a little bit, to, uh...take all this in, yeah...a-a-and then, I-I-I'll come back to that....t-that's okay, right? I hope that's okay..." She got it out! She'll be proud of herself later. Right now she feels like she's too much on fire to think about how hard that was.

Sylvia giggled after seeing Zoe's adorable reaction. "It was a mere tease, Mistress Zoe. Our guest's rooms are sacred and no game nor challenge may take place in them." She wasn't going to let a chance for teasing the adorable forgirl a bit more escape her grasp. "Although, the staff's bedrooms are legal for any of your wildest fantasies, Mistress~" She let out another giggle and gave Zoe one last bow. "Now then, Mistress. If there is nothing else you would require. I'll leave you to your room. As the headmistress said, feel free to explore the manor and good luck."

The maid left, closing the door behind her and leaving Zoe alone to sort through her thoughts in what, for the next three days, would be her own room. It was a lot more luxurious and big than that she was used to. It was almost as big as their actual residence where she and Eri lived. The foxgirl could relax here if she wished but, now that the game had began, she also had the chance to explore the manor, maybe meet the remaining maids or go see one of the maids that she already knew. So many options, so many places to explore...

Zoe: 30
Points: 1/10
Time: Morning (1st day).
Current area: Zoe's Bedroom.

Options:

After she left, Zoe let out a small exhale. She would need...a lot of nerve built up to function right around her. What a woman. She still felt hot even after she was gone. Definitely not ready for that one, just yet. She needed to take a moment to relax, after that. And she knew just how. Taking thing in, she knew the one thing that would get her to relax:

Eri.

Pulling herself up to the table, she grabbed a paper and pen and simply just began to write whatever came to mind. Her grammar was not the greatest, due to still learning how to read and write. She was getting better over time, though and could at least do both with decent skill. Some big words were hard for her, though.

Eri, first off, don't worry, everythings fine!

So, that job I was looking into? Apparently it's a multiple day thing at this big mansion, or whatever. It looks super suspicious at first, but I think there isn't any harm to it. There's a whole point system involved, and if I do well enough, there's some big prize at the end! I...don't know what it is. They wouldn't tell me. But hopefully it's money. Or something that'll help us. And if I fail, well, then I get some consolation prize, too. Not too bad I think either way. I'll be sending letters daily to keep you up to date on what's going on, and so you don't worry about me. It doesn't seem like there's any danger here! So, cheer for me at home, and I'll be back with a cool surprise, okay?

Love, Zoe

Writing that last one caused her to blush a little, but she quickly stuffed it into an envelope, sealing it, and writing the address of their building on the back. The box that Hara had told her to drop them off in was in where she entered, right? She assumed it was a reception hall...first thing's first, she had to get this sent. She'd feel better if Eri wasn't worrying about her. And from there...she'd explore. That's what the day was for, right? Getting up from her seat, Zoe opened her front door sheepishly, looking back and forth to see if others were around. No one yet. Good. With that, she scurried off the way she originally came.

(move to: Reception Hall)

Zoe headed back to the reception hall, she had a letter she wanted to have delivered and the mail box where she had to drop it was back by the main door. It took only mere minutes to get there and, when she did, gone were all the maids. She was alone in there now, maybe they were somewhere else in the building. This did not matter at the moment to Zoe. She had come here to drop a letter and that she did. What now? There were many places to explore in this enormous house...

Zoe: 30
Points: 1/10
Time: Morning (1st day).
Current area: Reception Hall.

Options:

Without any struggle, she had made her way back to the reception room. Entirely empty...all of the maids must be doing other work. She slipped the envelope into the box, letting out an exhaled breath. She wasn't sure how she would really react the first time she meets one, yet. It was going to happen eventually...hell, she needed to be the one to do it, if she wanted those 10 points. Think of the prize, Zoe, think of Eri's happy face back. That'll keep her going.

If she was going to get anywhere, she had to be proactive. At the very least, she was relaxed, now. No need to scurry about like some kind of escaping animal. Take her time, relax, there wasn't danger here. She had to keep telling herself that. She's too used to it being...the opposite of that. Zoe felt like if she told anyone that, they'd just get sad for her, so it'd probably be best to keep that to herself. Hopefully they wouldn't notice...the more mature ones probably would. Hara seemed like the type to see her soul through a gaze.

She shook off that apprehension. Proactive! That's what she needed to be. It'd probably be best to explore, see who she can meet. Maybe someone's in one of the adjacent rooms to meet. One of them seemed to be a living room of some kind...good a place as any to start.

(Move to: Living Room)

The living room was lively, unlike the hall, there were two maids in there. The pink haired one and the one she knew as Philia. They seemed to be taking a break from her tasks. It was the pink haired one who noticed Zoe first. She had a gentle look on her face and a smile as radiant as the sun. "Ah, Mistress Zoe, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rose and I am the nurse of the manor."

The young maid, Philia, got on her feet and walked towards Zoe. "And I'm Philia! Nice to meet you miss!" "Philia. Remember that she is our guest and mistress, so please be respectful." "Oh right, I'm sorry, Mistress Zoe." Even if the one called Rose had lectured her, it was pretty much obvious that it was in a kind and gentle way. "Hey, hey! Mistress Zoe! Let's play a game!" Rose let out a chuckle, she couldn't blame Philia for acting like this, even if she just lectured her to be polite but the excitement from the young maid was contagious. "You'll be playing to, right Rose? Please, please?" Rose chuckled again and nodded. "If the mistress agrees to it, I see no problem."

Philia looked expectantly at Zoe, waiting to see if the foxgirl would accept the invitation for a game.

Zoe: 30
Points: 1/10
Time: Morning (1st day).
Current area: Living Room.
Maids: Philia, Rose

Options:

"Ah...it's okay, really. I'm not really used to this whole 'Mistress' stuff, anyway. Don't worry too hard about that stuff, alright?" Zoe scratched the back of her head in embarrassment, chuckling to herself. She was really lucky to run into someone like Philia early on. Someone like this, she could work with. And Rose seemed nice enough. Kinda motherly, in the way she carried herself. And in the way she spoke with Philia.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm down for a game. As long as there's nothing against it, I'd be fine with both. I need to get my bearings today, anyway." Luckily, she was only a little bit taller than Philia, and didn't have to do much to keep her attention on her. A real ball of sunshine, this one. That was good, actually. Better this way than someone that threw her completely for a loop.

"So, what kinda game we playing? I'm down for anything!" Finally, Zoe was starting to ease up. Maybe it was Philia's contagious energy.

"Yay!" Philia rushed to a nearby wardrobe and grabbed a deck of cards from one of the drawers. Rose watched as the young and excited girl rushed all over the place to set the card game. "I take we will be playing the Old Maid, Philia?" The azure haired maid nodded with a radiant smile. "Mmyup!" Seh sat down in one of the couches and waited for Rose and Zoe to do the same.

The pink haired woman looked at Zoe. "Let us not keep Philia waiting, Mistress Zoe." She gestured the wolfgirl to follow along as she sat down next to Philia, who was already preparing the cards and ready to deal them.

Zoe: 30
Points: 1/10
Time: Morning (1st day).
Current area: Living Room.
Maids: Philia, Rose

Options: