(Control) - Use a trance to calm Tallula down

This was actually a pretty good chance to try out the mesmeric power of the Ring of Ursa Minor. With no one else around to see the outcome-- and not allowed to come to the third floor to walk in on you either-- you could try giving the maid an order without risking others finding out. Furthermore, you thought that using the power to put Tallula into a calming trance state would actually be a pretty benign first use of your new ability, given that she was still shivering like a leaf with nervousness. A trance state might take the edge off.

You experimentally clicked your fingers. Her green eyes widened and became alarmingly more green, matching the colors you'd seen on the gems embedded in the Ring of Ursa Minor, before it had mysteriously vanished from your finger. Her face settled into a curious frown and she blinked dumbly, waiting for some sort of instruction. It didn't look quite like the expression you'd seen Wanda make earlier. You cleared your throat, then whispered for her to enter a deeper trance, more peaceful, more restful.

The maid's eyelids started to droop and her chin started to sag down into her collar.

You held out your hand and said good, stay at that level of restfulness. It seemed like any further and she'd probably collapse off her feet and fall onto the floor, which would be noisy at minimum, given the heavy set of her body.

"Mmm... It feels good..." Tallula offered, unprompted. A dopey smile rested on her face as her head rolled slowly from side to side. "My head feels funny... so sleepy... but good... it's like a warm bath..."

It was pretty helpful for her to give you that much clarity on the impact of your powers. At least her comfort made you feel a bit better about testing your powers on her. It was still no easy thing to get used to, seeing someone hypnotically controlled with a snap of your fingers.

"It's different... than being hypnotized by Ms. Croft..."

Again, without you even asking, she'd given you some more useful information. It sounded like the lady of the house routinely used her magic on her personal maid... Curious, you asked how the experience differed from what she was used to.

"Hmmm... This is like a dream... like sleeping... when Ms. Croft does it... I'm still aware... and she teases me..." a pouty frown came on to the maid's face as she answered you. "She teases me a lot..."

Apparently, the lady of the house was in the habit of abusing her power dynamic and her supernatural power. You pitied the maid. You told her that if she felt better being controlled by you, you'd be happy to do it again for her some time. If it was relaxing for her, there was no reason the two of you couldn't do this more often.

The goofy smile came back onto her freckled face and she nodded, not noticing as her maid's cap fell from her head, exposing the poorly wrapped bun in the back. "Yes, sir... Let's do it more often... Let's do it whenever you feel up to it. It feels good... getting to sleep on the job... tee he hehe..."

Uh oh. A guy could get used to this, being the master in someone else's household. It was pretty intoxicating...

This was probably also the safest time you were going to get to test snapping somebody else out of this. You clicked your fingers once again, wondering at the same time if she'd have simply snapped out by herself if you'd gotten out of range. A short moment later, she blinked a few times in confusion. "Erm, pardon, sir, but weren't you going to ask me some questions? Detective-like, I mean?" she murmured with a confused frown.

You closed up your booklet and smiled, telling her you'd gotten everything you needed.

A warm smile came back onto her face. "Very well then. I'll be up here if you need me. Please go join the others, if it pleases you..."

You wished her good luck handling the mistress of the house, then quickly bolted down the main staircase before Wanda had a chance to jump you. Either way, it seemed from your tests that your end of the mind control couldn't be simpler.

--You've earned someone's trust!--

--A new clue has been obtained!--

--Check notes in the game tab--