Hazel's party begins

The normally drab Occult Research Club had been transformed into a revealer's paradise. There were lights and decorations, a table filled with delicious food and enough **** to send every single person here to the ER. Hazel, Dell and Dr. Coppin entered together, dressed in ordinary clothes, and found a few others already waiting.

"Hazel...and Dr. Coppin, you really came." Pascal said, trying to hide his disappointment.

"Yes, thank you for having me," Dr. Coppin said gracefully.

Pascal's girlfriend Sabine stepped forward, "Would you like a drink Dr. Coppin? We've got everything, what's your poison?"

Dr. Coppin smiled, "Just water for now, thank you."

Sabine frowned, but went to get her some water. Hazel thought Sabine was probably worried about them all drinking on campus and had tried to get Dr. Coppin to join in right away so she wouldn't want to narc on them. At least Hazel wasn't worried about that in the slightest.

The door opened behind them and a man Hazel didn't recognize walked in. She froze. Dell saw him and walked over, "You made it." He clapped the newcomer on the back and turned to the others, "Guys this is my buddy Chip."

"Hi guys, thanks for having me." Chip said, waving to them.

Hazel was panicking. Chip wasn't hypnotized. How would he react when everyone else started to really believe they were their characters. What about all the...well...rather R rated things she had planned. She glared at Dell. He should have warned her!

Before Hazel could complain Pascal said something, "Dell...this is a party but it's an investigation too. I mean...does he have a character even..."

"I do," Chip pulled some pages from his pocket, "And a costume. I'm sorry, I thought Dell told you guys."

Pascal sighed, "It's fine. The more the merrier right...but..." Pascal looked over at the PC, then got confused and looked away, "You need to test the program."

Hazel couldn't believe it. She didn't remember telling Pascal to help her hypnotize others, in fact he wasn't supposed to think about the computer at all. He probably hadn't, that why he'd been confused when he looked that direction. He just remembered that Hazel thought it was important they all test it, and he trusted Hazel, and whatever it was had been in that corner.

Hazel saw her chance, "Yes. It'll just take a minute. Have a seat." She rushed over and patted the chair. She didn't want an audience, but what else was she supposed to do? Wait, no, she really didn't want an audience. What if someone else looked at the screen. "And everyone else get out! It's important so you don't spoil his character."

She hadn't turned them all to mindless slaves, but she had told them all to trust her. Nobody seemed to have a problem with it and one by one they filed out.

Chip shrugged and sat down, "So what do I have to test?"

"Just look at the screen and when it says Run the Program press the 'Y' key."

"Cool. Okay, there it is. Soooo Y-" Chip went blank as the program activated.

"Shit. Ok. Fuck," Hazel struggled to get her thoughts in order. She didn't have long. She'd told Pascal to follow the script and it was due to start soon. Trust or not he wouldn't wait. He'd come back in here and start, which would trigger Hazel's own transformation.

"What's your character?" Hazel asked him.

"I'm Batman." He says flatly.

Hazel blinks, "B-batman?"

"Batman."

"What kind of party did Dell tell you this was?"

"Costume party." He replied instantly.

"Fuck Dell," She froze, "Wait. No. That wasn't an order. Do NOT fuck Dell. Damn. So your costume is a batman costume? Don't answer that. Fuck, you're ruining my vibe Chip."

She rubbed her temples, trying to think of what to do with him. Finally she had it, "No need for a costume change at all. Listen closely Chip, when Pascal begins the ceremony and sends everyone else to go changed you will adopt a totally new personality. You are the entertainment. A stripper. Hired for a party..." She quickly shoved as many commands as she could think of into Chip.

Just in time she woke him up as Pascal walked back into the room, "Everyone is here so let's begin!" He said enthusiastically. that was the start of the script Hazel had given him. His programming had taken over his trust that Hazel needed the room. And once Pascal walked back in, everyone else followed, including the ones who'd arrived during Chip's induction.

Hazel told Chip to get up and sit down at the table. She looked around remembering who each person was going to be. She was the only one who knew everyone's character. She was going to fit right...wait. What was her role again? She couldn't remember. She nearly panicked, but then a wave of calm washed over her. It didn't matter. It was just temporary after all. Whatever she was going to be, it was going to be fun.

"Welcome friends. Seekers. Sinners. Tonight, we gather not as who we are… but who we were. Beneath the skin you wear lies a forgotten truth. A life lived long ago—full of pain, pleasure, power, or shame.”

“In this building, for one night only, the veil of time is thin. And with the right invocation, and a little imagination, we may tear it open. We may remember. You may feel a strange sensation—like a whisper just behind your thoughts. That is your former self, trying to claw its way forward. Let it. Tonight, you will speak as them. Move as them. Be them. But beware... the soul remembers more than the mind. You may find old habits hard to break."

He set a bottle down on the table and slowly removed the lid. Sabine set a shot glass in front of each person and then Pascal stood up and poured the green liquid into each one. Hazel shuddered in anticipation. This was it. The trigger. Once they drank their shots...

"Now friends, let's go on this journey together. Raise your glasses and join me on this journey. Let's begin!" Pascal said.

Hazel, and all the others, raised their glasses, and as one drank it. It was 70% ****, far too strong for Hazel's taste, but she barely hard time to register it as her programming took over.

As one they stood up and walked out of the room in total silence. Dr. Copping had arranged for them each to have a space in the building to prepare in, except for Chip of course, and they followed their programming to their destinations.

Pascal, or rather Lucius Cassian Varro, was the first one to return to the clubroom. He stepped inside and looked around, “By the gods… The servants have been busy. I scarcely recognize my own villa.” He stepped further in, running a finger across the back of a chair as if testing for dust. “But...have they all fled? Must a man of my station pour his own wine now? Is this the state of Roman hospitality?”

The door opened behind him and he spun around. A woman entered, her head bowed low, "Master Varro, a thousand pardons! Your wine should have awaited you, chilled and poured. I—I failed in my duty. The gods must be testing me, or perhaps the fates have grown cruel. Please, forgive your wretched ****.”

Lucius didn't remember the names of all his slaves. Why would he bother? This one had a fair body, perhaps he would have her attend to him later, after she was properly whipped for being late of course. She rushed over and grabbed a bottle of wine from a table. A rather curious thing, Lucius had never seen such a fine bottle. Just how much was this party costing him anyway? She poured it and presented it to him.

He took it without a word and sipped. He lowered his glass and stared at it, it was remarkably good. He glanced at the ****, "Girl, what is your name?"

She looked up at him briefly, then down again, "My name Master? I am Despoina." The woman didn't realize it but her name was intended to be ironic. She was a ****, the lowest of the low, and yet her name meant 'Mistress'. If anyone had told her that she was the one who had organized this whole event, and in fact had the power to control her so called Master if she wanted to, she would have thought they were crazy. In fact despite having organized it she'd had no idea she was about to become a ****. Azure had thought it would be 'fun' this way after all.

"Despoina? Greek, isn't it? I despise the Greeks, they think they understand culture. Better off as slaves, the lot of you. Remind me later to have you wh-" He stopped as the door opened and another man entered. Lucius scowled, "And who might you be to enter my villa so boldly?”

The man snorted. “Mind your tongue, Roman. Or I’ll carve it out and offer it to your gods. I am Bran of the Red Hills—warrior of the old tribes. We bled to keep our lands from the likes of you."

Lucius seemed like he was about to say something, then changed his mind, "Girl, get the barbarian a drink."

Dell had been working out. A lot. He thought this was the perfect opportunity to show off his muscles. After all there would be booze a plenty and after the show the girls had put on the other day...well he thought his odds that something could happen were better than usual. Of course he was 100% correct in that, Hazel had made sure of it.

She bowed her head, "Yes Master." She approached Bran with a glass of wine.

Bran laughed, "Well at least you Romans have beautiful women." He ignored the glass in Desponia's hand and reached out to grope her instead. Eventually he stopped and took the glass and drained it in one stroke, "Bring me something stronger woman."

As Desponia moved to obey the door opened again. A woman entered, unlike any Lucius Cassian Varro had ever seen. Her hair was a bold, unnatural blue. Her lips, crimson and deliberate, curled into a smirk. The gown she wore shimmered like starlight, drawing his eyes to all the right places. She walked in with confidence, like she was the owner and not him. She winked at him, "Howdy Sugar."

She gave him a slow, deliberate wink. “Howdy, sugar.”

Lucius blinked. What dialect of the provinces was that?

She moved through the room with a sway in her hips that was nothing short of a declaration of war. As she passed Bran, she ran a teasing hand across his chest—then let it trail slowly down, stopping just above his belt with a knowing look. Bran snorted, unimpressed but not unaffected.

She turned her gaze to Desponia and gave a crisp snap of her fingers. “Sidecar, sweetie.” Then, to Lucius, with a grin: “Although I do prefer to drive.”

Lucius straightened, a little too quickly, trying to mask his confusion—and arousal.

“Welcome to my villa,” he said, clearing his throat. “Are you attending without your husband this evening?”

She laughed, the sound rich and smoky. “Husband? Oh honey, there ain’t a man alive who can keep up with me. But you…” She walked a slow half-circle around him, her finger tracing the air just shy of touching his toga. “Are you ready for some fun tonight?”

Lucius opened his mouth. Closed it. Then remembered to speak. “…Naturally.”

Azure had been tempted to dye her hair for this party, but in the end had gone with a wig. Everyone was going to be under the influence so to speak, no need to do anything long term. Azure had no problem flirting with her friends even without the hypnosis, but she'd never actually crossed any lines. This party was the perfect place to do exactly that. Luna dances across lines for a living, she's sure to have fun tonight.

Meanwhile Desponia had no idea what a sidecar was, but her body seemed to obey nonetheless. She found her hands making a strange potion and delivering it to the witch who had just entered, "Your drink my lady." She said, presenting it.

The woman took a sip, and the door opened yet again.