Recruitment 1.9

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Once Taylor had gotten over her embarrassment, she looked back to Cindy. "So… what's next?" she asked awkwardly.

Cindy looked over the form. "Next up is an angel."

"That sounds promising," Taylor noted. "Why is she worth so much?"

"We've got a few of them hanging around," Cindy began, "and they've all fallen from Heaven for one reason or another. I don't think I've heard of one that wasn't a bossy conceited bitch."

"I think I'll pass," Taylor decided. "Who's next?"

"The next group are a bunch of wizards specializing in shapeshifting magic," Cindy read. "They're pretty much interchangeable, and most of them are horny. Good if you like a lot of variety, bad if you want to stick with primarily humanoids. Lots of fun, though."

Taylor blinked. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"I think I only saw mine in his normal shape once or twice," Cindy explained. "They like to play around with different forms, so one week you'll have be having sex with a short goblin, and the next time it'll be a horse, and the time after that could be an elephant. It's a bit like being at the zoo, but at least the animal fucking you is actually human, right?"

"Not interested," Taylor stated. "I definitely want to have some idea what I'm getting myself into."

"That's understandable," Cindy replied with a nod. "Alright, I'll add the shapeshifter to the no pile, then."

"Thanks," Taylor said. "I mean, I guess I can see why the variety might be appealing, but I don't think I'd enjoy it."

"It's definitely not for everyone," Cindy agreed. "Next up we have a psychic, a powerful telepath who'll-"

"No," Taylor said firmly."

Cindy pouted. "You didn't even let me finish."

"Don't care," Taylor insisted. "The answer is still going to be no."

"Look, they left you two messages," Cindy noted. "I've never seen that before. Can you at least listen to them before deciding?"

"I'd rather not," Taylor replied. "I'm not letting anyone poke around my brain."

Cindy sighed. "Alright, I can't force you, but it would be interesting to see what the messages are about." Looking at the next entry, she continued, "Next up is Tyrone. There's only one of him, but so few people want his services that he's usually available."

Taylor looked over the picture of a muscular black man and asked, "What's wrong with him?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's worth thirty-five credits," Taylor said. "Something must be wrong with him if he's worth that much and still doesn't have people signing up to be with a hunk like him."

"Ah, that," Cindy replied. "He's looking for someone who wants to be his prison bitch."

"I'm sorry, he's looking for what?" Taylor asked incredulously.

"He wants somebody to be his prison bitch," Cindy repeated. "And it looks like he's left a text message for you, if you want to take a look."

"Call me morbidly curious," Taylor said, "what does the message say?"

As she clicked on the link, Cindy whistled lowly before replying, "As far as I can tell, he's been writing a treatise on why you should want to be a prison bitch."

"Why is it loading a text editor?" Taylor asked.

"He adds a bit to it each time he gets rejected," Cindy explained. "Last time I saw it, it was around five pages long, but that was when I was going through it myself."

"It's still loading," Taylor noted. "Should it still be loading?"

"It's definitely longer than five pages now," Cindy added. They sat for another few seconds while the document finished loading. "It looks like he's up to a full thirty pages," she noted, scrolling to the bottom of the document.

"Without counting the three pages of cited sources," Taylor added in shock. "And are those testimonials?"

"He's been getting much more thorough," Cindy said in something approaching awe. "I'm kind of impressed." She scrolled back to the top of the document, so that they could look at the introduction.

"Did he write it in the third person?" Taylor asked incredulously. "Thirty pages, single spaced, and he writes it in the third person? What the hell?"

"I met him once," Cindy confided. "He always talks in the third person. Maybe he used a dictation program?"

"If he did, it's a lot better than anything I've heard of back home," Taylor said. "Either that, or he spent a lot of time fixing all the mistakes they make."

"Our dictation programs are pretty good," Cindy noted, "but they still mess up occasionally. Anyway, want to read the whole thing or just move on?"

"Can you save me a copy of this?" Taylor asked. "He put so much work into it that it seems like a shame to let it go to waste."

"Sure, I can do that," Cindy agreed. "I'll make sure you get a copy."

"Thanks," Taylor said. "So, while he might have some good points, I'm not going to take the time to read that to find them at the moment. We might as well move on."

"Got it, next up is the dragon," Cindy said. "Now, this one has a video attached, and I want to see if I got the favor I asked for, so I'm going to play it, alright?" She hit play before Taylor could protest.

The screen filled with the image of a large horned head. Small wisps of smoke escaped the red dragon's nostrils lazily as he breathed. Cindy smirked triumphantly as the dragon began to speak. "Hello, Miss Taylor Hebert. I am Smaug Ironwing. If you choose to have a dragon for one of your owners, I will be that owner. This is for two main reasons. First, when your abilities were explained, most of the other dragons decided to be bitchy little wimps and hightailed it out of the cavern. I don't get what they're so worried about. So you control insects. So what? We dragons are large and have thick hides. We breathe fire. Insects should prove no obstacle for one of our ilk." He shook his head sadly. "I fear for our future generations."

Cindy snorted in amusement. "Crotchety old goat," she said fondly.

"Secondly, and more importantly," Smaug continued, "Cindy asked me to consider taking you under my wing." He paused for a moment. "Now, who am I to reject a request from one of my favorite humans? Why, she might just stop coming to visit if I did that. Not to mention, it has been a few years since I've taken part in the show. Now, Miss Taylor, the thing to keep in mind is that dragons, no matter how intelligent, are in part ruled by our emotions, and Slut Life does do a good job of finding horny dragons. The difference between dragons is how well we can control our emotions or focus on different emotions when needed. If you choose me as one of your owners, you will be fucked."

The dragon paused for a moment, giving Taylor the time to glare at Cindy. "Oh, don't give me that look," Cindy protested. "Smaug isn't done, yet."

"However," Smaug continued, "unlike some, I understand the concept of foreplay and how a genuine emotional connection can enhance the experience. Not everything is about sex, though that is definitely part of it. Ask Cindy. I can be quite the attentive lover or an overpowering force of nature depending on what each of us want. That said, if you do choose me, I highly suggest you listen to what options Cindy suggests. She knows what ones you should take and which you should avoid." The dragon grinned lasciviously and licked his snout with a tongue that had to be over a foot long. "Not heeding her advice would be a grave mistake. That said, regardless of your choice, I wish you well on your future endeavors."

Cindy gave Taylor a hopeful look, "So, what do you think?"

"He looks very… large," Taylor commented uncertainty.

"He is," Cindy agreed, "in more ways than one, but he really is a sweetheart. I know I'm biased, but I think he's a good choice. I wasn't sure he'd bother challenging the others for the right to be a candidate, but he did. I'll definitely be doing something nice for him later."

"They fight over who gets a chance to fuck us?" Taylor asked, aghast.

"Well, yeah," Cindy said nonchalantly. "It's a bit old fashioned, but most of them really get turned on by the concept of holding a maiden hostage or some such." She shrugged. "Smaug doesn't really care about the game anymore, but he's still willing to play when necessary. Or for the right reward."

"Leaving that aside, what did he mean about advice?" Taylor asked.

Cindy chuckled and replied, "You saw me having sex with Smaug, and I told you about the flexible holes mod. Between that and at least a minor masochism streak, the experience is quite enjoyable, though I'd recommend not wearing a corset if you can help it." Looking at Taylor hopefully, she asked, "So, are you interested? I guarantee it's nothing like being at the zoo or dealing with a shapeshifter."

"Fine," Taylor sighed. "I'm not saying yes yet, but I'll keep him in mind."

"Great," Cindy chirped, giving Taylor a quick hug. "I'll mark him down as a maybe. I'm sure you two would have fun together. And I don't just mean having sex. He likes his roleplay and just having someone to fly around with as well."

Taylor nodded in consideration. "That doesn't sound so bad. I'll keep it in mind. What's left? We're almost done, right?" Taylor asked.

Scrolling down the screen before scrolling back up, Cindy answered, "There's only about five left, and, frankly, I don't think you're going to be interested in most of them."

Taylor nodded. "In that case, can I just start with a brief rundown? I can always ask for more details, right?"

"That'll work," Cindy agreed. "Now, the three I can't see you being at all interested are a weekly gang rape, and they will make you hate it, a casting couch where four randomly chosen fans will be given nearly free reign with you for the duration, which really is more fun than it sounds, and an option for public use, where we'd strip you down and lock you into a pillory in the middle of town for a few hours, with anyone who wants to being able to use you."

Taylor turned a rather unhealthy green at the thought. "Who would pick those?" she demanded. "They're awful!"

"That is why they're worth so much," Cindy pointed out. "And, to be fair, if it weren't for your bribe from the scientists, the pillory option has the highest credit value out of any owner." She shrugged and added, "Besides, I enjoyed my time with the casting call. Lots of variety without going outside of the intelligent races."

"I'm not sure that makes either of those two ideas any better," Taylor denied. "What about the last two options?"

"First up is a witch hunter," Cindy began. "They're a bit crazy and tend to think everyone is a witch. Regardless of which one you get, she'll probably keep hounding you until you confess, and then she'll keep punishing you for it. Considering your insect trick and that you'll soon be a magical girl, she'll have plenty of ammunition for an inquisition."

Taylor sat silently for a moment before asking, "Have you noticed how most of these people seem to be asking me to cover them in bugs?"

"At least Miss Platt would enjoy it," Cindy replied, "but I see your point. I think I'll need to talk to some people about finding some alternative owner categories for those with powers they can't turn off." Shaking her head, she continued, "and finally, we have a selection of cults who would use you in their rituals to worship their gods. Basically… do you know Lovecraft?"

"He wrote Gothic horror, right?" Taylor asked.

"Pretty much. His big thing was the unknowable evil and creatures as far above us as we are above ants," Cindy explained. "Basically, if you pick the cult, you're going to get used by an Old One." She winced before adding, "There's a warning about trying to not lose your mind."

"That sounds worse than dealing with a telepath," Taylor opined. "I'm definitely not getting involved with that. That's the last option, right?"

"That's it," Cindy agreed. Now all that's left is to choose which ones you want to have as owners, if you want any of them to also be roommates, and if you want to spend any extra time with them on their days. That has an extra bonus, by the way."

"Who all do I have on my maybe list, anyway?" Taylor asked.

"Well, to start off," Cindy began, "we have you definitely choosing the scientists. Other than that, you narrowed it down to the Cutie, the Futanari, the Slime Girl, Siblings, the Succubus, and the Dragon as possible choices." Shaking her head, she added, "If you wanted to get the maximum number of owners we can give you, you've narrowed the list down to that exact number."

"How many owners do I need, again?" Taylor asked, looking over the short list.

"Strictly speaking?" Cindy began. "Only one, but there's advantages to having more."

"Such as?"

"Well, other than the extra credits they provide, there's a few benefits," Cindy explained. "They tend to lend a bit of variety to your life, which makes things less stagnant and tends to improve ratings. If you choose to have some of your owners as roommates-"

"Why would I want that?" Taylor interrupted. "Wouldn't that just have them controlling things twenty-four seven?"

"I was getting to that," Cindy griped. "And it's thirty-two seven. The days are longer there, remember?"

"Sorry," Taylor said sheepishly. "You were saying?"

"Right, where was I." Cindy rubbed her chin thoughtfully for a moment before continuing. "Ah, right. No, your owners can only order you around during their turns with you. Of course, if you take any punishments with a controller, they would still be able to use those remotes. It can be helpful to have someone around to allow you to climax, pee, or sleep, for example. There are other punishments with remotes, of course."

"I can see how that'd be helpful," Taylor admitted.

"Especially since your AI might not have access to any of those remotes. You can't get one for the catheter, after all," Cindy added. "They're also good for companionship, which you could probably use. Besides, if they piss you off and you don't have a shock collar or something, you could always just cover them in bees or something. And on that note, I highly recommend accepting Velma Platt as one of your owners and have her be one of your roommates."

"She's the one who likes bugs, right?" Taylor asked. When Cindy nodded, she added, "You said having her as an owner wouldn't get me any credits, so why would I want to subject myself to that?"

"I see where you're coming from," Cindy replied, "but you can get five credits by having her in charge for an extra four hours a week, she seems very friendly, and, here's the important one, she's likely to take you around looking for insects without expecting you to do anything for the privilege."

"That's a fair point," Taylor admitted, thinking about it. "The scientists might help me get interesting insects as well, but they're probably going to be focusing on my power and how it works, rather than what I can do with it. Fine, add her to the definite list as a roommate."

"And the others?" Cindy asked.

"Let's hold off for now," Taylor decided. "I don't think I want any more owners than I have to have, but they might be better than the alternatives."

"Sure, we can do that," Cindy conceded. "We can always look at the various sections again up until we submit the paperwork."

"I'm definitely going to want to go over everything again when we're done," Taylor agreed. "This is too important to not think on properly."

"That's definitely true," Cindy agreed. "Anyway, do you want me to let the scientists know you're definitely signing up as a guinea pig? It'll let them start some of the prep work so we won't have to wait as long after you finish filling everything out?"

Taylor looked over to Cindy and asked, "Is there any particular advantage to that?"

"Not really," Cindy admitted. "Once everything's been finalized, you'll probably still have at least a week or two before the show starts. Maybe even a full month if things take long enough. They'll need to prepare your new body, or more precisely alter your current body to order. Then they'll need to make you a magical girl and get all of that taken care off. While that's going on, they'll need to put together your apartment and move everything in, contact your owners and roommates and have them all available in the same general area. At some point, they'll need to actually transport you to the planet you'll be on for the year and figure out how to move the supercomputer attached to your brain at the same time. And that's not even including any advertising they'll want to do. Photo shoots, interviews, things like that."

Taylor boggled. "That's a lot of prep work."

"It really is," Cindy agreed. "Luckily, the most stressful part of my job will be done once we finish with the contract, though I'll still be around to work as a liaison for you and to help you if you have any other questions crop up."

"That's good to know," Taylor said with a sigh of relief. "Are you going to be around during my entire stint, or only until the show starts?"

Cindy considered for a moment, before replying, "Typically, once you've started the main filming, you're on your own. However, yours is not the typical case. We're actively working at recruiting you, after all, so I wouldn't be surprised if I'm still around for at least the first month or so with periodic stops in to see how you're doing after that."

"Makes sense," Taylor agreed. "You wouldn't want me forming a bad opinion of the company halfway through training."

"No," Cindy said dryly. "That wouldn't be ideal." She paused for a moment before asking, "So, did you want me to tell the scientists they're in?"

Taylor sighed. "You might as well." A moment later she added, "Can you let Velma know as well? Maybe we can do a penpal thing or something before we actually have to live and work together."

"Sure, I can do that," Cindy said, quickly pulling up a new window and typing out a few messages. "And sent."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, can we please watch what the psychic had to say?" Cindy pleaded. "I'm curious, and I won't have access to the messages after the contract is finalized. I've never seen one contestant include two separate messages before."

"Fine," Taylor relented. "I guess we can watch the messages. It's not going to change my mind, though."

"I don't expect it to," Cindy replied consolingly. "I really am just that curious." With that said, she clicked on the first message.

"Hello Miss Hebert," the visibly nervous girl on the screen said. "My name is Natalie, and I've been 'volunteered' to represent the Psychics if you choose to have one as an owner. Standard policy in this case allows me to send a message arguing my position." She paused here and took a couple of deep breaths. "I'd like to ask that you not choose to have a Psychic for an owner on potential health and safety grounds. We just don't currently know what kind of interactions would occur between telepaths and the link you share with insects around you, and I don't believe that the show is the place to find out."

"She makes a good point," Cindy muttered.

"I'd rather not Master anyone," Taylor agreed. "It never ends well back home."

"As such," Natalie continued after another deep breath. "I encourage you to not have a Psychic for an owner. Instead, I feel it would be better if you worked with a test group in more limited and controlled conditions to determine what kind of problems, if any, may occur when you interact with telepaths. Beyond that, on a more personal level, I'm...unsettled around insects, and am not sure I could safely interact with you even without other potential complications. Thank you for your time."

Taylor winced. "I'm not really that much of a fan of insects, either," she noted to Cindy. "But, well, they're my power and the spiders will be useful and the crickets are fun, you know?"

"I suppose having your own pocket orchestra could be amusing," Cindy commented, referencing the crickets she could hear from down the hallway.

"It is rather fun," Taylor admitted. "I think I've gotten Itsy Bitsy Spider down."

"You'll have to show me later," Cindy decided. "There's still another message to watch." Clicking on the second link, she started the video.

"Miss Hebert," an older woman said. "I'm Mistress Fiorenza, the current manager and primary trainer of Psychics that participate on the show. As a matter of protocol I've reviewed Natalie's message, and find that her arguments are valid. I originally volunteered her as a matter of punishment, but I find that the potential hazards of interactions between the insects themselves, the supercomputer linking them to you, and telepathic abilities cannot be ignored. To that end, regardless of whether or not you choose to have Natalie as an owner I will be arranging to have a controlled meeting with you. I cannot trust any of the younger girls to be able to protect themselves in case something goes wrong."

"At least she's taking things seriously," Cindy commented.

"And she isn't going to risk one of her students first," Taylor added. "It's nice to see someone actually care that much." Cindy winced in sympathy at the sentiment.

After a moment where she'd checked the screen next to her, the woman continued. "Depending on how the initial meeting goes I may need to insist that you be based on one of the Psychic-free planets. This could have significant consequences to your scheduling options, so I will be departing to head to your current location shortly. The executives have just cleared my travel plans, in fact. Beyond that, provided things go well with the initial check, I'd appreciate it if you'd allow Natalie to be one of your owners. Beyond the punishment I originally intended I honestly feel that with your help she may be able to get over her mild phobia. Thank you for your time, and I hope to see you soon."

"Huh." Cindy clicked to another window on her computer and began poking around. "I don't remember seeing anything about that." She scrolled through her emails for a few moments before noticing one of the first ones. "Huh, it's only about half an hour old. No wonder I didn't see it yet. Let's see…" She opened the email and skimmed the contents. "It looks like she should be here sometime tomorrow."

"At least I won't have too long to worry about it," Taylor noted optimistically.

"That's definitely a plus," Cindy agreed. "Now, you said something about singing crickets?