Over the weekend, Gemma consulted a Skill Assessor, dipping into her funds enough that she knew she couldn’t afford to do it again for a long while. But her Skill description didn’t give her enough guidance on working her Skills, and she needed help. The puppeterring incident from her new Skill had also scared her.

Gemma left Nellie with an attendant of the shop, and they watched her from behind a thick, magically reinforced glass wall.

“Quite an interesting Skill set, my dear,” the old woman, who just went by ‘Madame Assessor,’ said, nodding, “Let’s start with Horrific Scream. Go on, you won’t hurt me.”

Gemma had never intentionally activated her Skills before. Danger Sense and TLC were passive, and the need to use Horrific Scream had thankfully never come up.

Gemma opened her mouth and closed it like a fish, and then cleared her throat.

She screamed. It was an entirely normal, if shrill, women’s scream.

Gemma blushed.

“You’ve got to mean it.”

“Sorry,” Gemma said.

She took a deep breath and tried to focus on the need to attack, to defend herself. She screamed and again, no Skill activated.

“Oh my gosh, this is so embarrassing,” Gemma said, and hid her face under her hands for a moment, “let me try again.”

It was a futile effort.

“Let’s try something,” Madame Assessor said.

“Oka—”

Danger Sense activated and Gemma lurched backwards. Madame Assessor’s long nails grew clawlike and she slashed at Gemma. Warmth built up in Gemma’s chest and her only thoughts focused on a simple directive: live!

Gemma Screamed.

She’d activated the Skill successfully.

The sound reverberated, causing the air to quiver and shimmer as if there was a heat wave present. Gemma felt the sound waves pulse out from her throat, and it felt as if her windpipe were full of bees.

When the Scream dissipated, Gemma clutched her knees and gasped.

“Okay, that worked,” Gemma gasped again, “Danger Sense activated also.”

“Hmm,” the Madame Assessor's nails went back to normal, “That had good power and range. And your Danger Sense saved you more than Horrific Scream.”

Gemma shook her head, “But I can’t ever use it, with Nellie around. I could never hurt her.”

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The Madame Assessor cupped her chin, and didn’t respond.

“Let’s try your most recent Skill. I want you to start by considering me under your care.”

Gemma looked at the Madame Assessor, “What?”

“Your little girl helped you gain your Class, but your Class has fluidity as to who is considered under your care, I believe.”

“But you’re an adult.”

“I’m an old woman,” the Madame Assessor smiled, “I could be babysat.”

It was an interesting concept. Gemma gave it a try.

She studied the folds of the woman’s face, noted the small stoop in her back. There was a tiredness present in her eyes, unless Gemma was projecting that. Gemma brushed that thought away and let her emotions blossom.

The Madame Assessor wasn’t being taken care of properly. Gemma felt a protectiveness click in her, a yearning to help.

Gemma blinked.

Her body moved forward, and she held the Madame Assessor's arm while her other hand cupped the old woman’s back.

She led the woman out of the reinforced room and eased her into a chair.

“Thank you,” the Madame Assessor said.

Gemma blinked again, and the compulsion dissipated.

Horror washed over Gemma's face.

“This new Skill is awful,” Gemma said.

“No, it’s wonderful.”

The Madame Assessor stood, “Come, let’s sit and talk.”

Gemma took Nellie back from the attendant, and the three moved to her office space.

“Let’s go in order. You worry about your attack Skill injuring her, and that is a valid concern. You have two options. You can train your usage of the Skill and narrow down it’s range, and learn to aim it. Or, you can try to gain another Babysitter Skill that would give those under your care special protections. If you’d like to go that route, I recommend you taking your little girl into simulated danger. As to the problem you had activating that Skill, practice will help you learn how to use it.”

Gemma nodded.

“Your Danger Sense is a lovely Skill, one of my favorites, actually. As a passive Skill there’s not much to be said there, but as you level you may be able to pinpoint the specifics of any danger that poses a threat to you more quickly than you currently do and have more time to react. Skills grow in different ways.”

“Your last Skill interests me the most. You’ll need to be careful of it, as it may not be so discriminating as to what it makes you do. When you helped me sit down, that was an expression of the Skill. What you didn’t realize is that I had other needs I projected onto you. The first: I wanted you to harm your little girl, and also my assistant.”

“Excuse me?!”

The Madame Assessor nodded, “Yes. So that Skill will not compel you to violence without due cause, nor cause you to harm your charges. I suspect if someone had intent to injure either of you, Danger Sense would let you know, and then Tender Loving Care would have you...remove the threat, unless other options easily presented themselves, like earlier when I attacked, you used Horrific Scream. The second thing I tried to compel you to do was to give me all of your assets.”

“And?”

“You did nothing. So the Skill won’t make you do things that are unreasonable.”

“I still don’t want it making me a puppet.”

The Madame Assessor nodded, “I understand completely. I think for that you will also just have to practice being in situations where it activated, and then shutting it down. But it’s a worthy Skill to keep for what it offers you, in my opinion. I wouldn’t rush to a Skill Deletor.”

Gemma looked down at Nellie and sighed.

“My assistant will write this all down for you. If anything changes, please reach out to me again.”

“Thank you,” Gemma said, and she stood up.

This meeting had given her a lot to think about.