Tyler struggled to think about what he'd just been given, and what he'd just done.
He'd been given a magic flute, and with music that had come to him unbidden, he'd turn two random ladies into busty naked snake people who loved his music so much they'd declared themselves his servants on the spot. And nobody was freaking, screaming, or even stopping take selfies with the two snake women. They weren't invisible, he saw people glance at them, but no more than you'd expect anyone to react to see two exceptionally attractive women outside of two big name chain stores.
So many thoughts, they came in random order.
'If anyone who hears this music will do what I say, I can use to make people at the mall just give me free stuff right?' Then he remembered what the shop owner said about using it responsibility. Well, there was no telling what 'responsible' was for a magic flute that brainwashed and transform people into super model snake nudists. But using it to just get anything he wanted for free? The store manages would still know their employees had given out stuff for free. And their managers' bosses would know. All the way up the chain of command.
Maybe test it out to see how many people he could transform all at once? ... That felt like a very very very bad idea when he didn't know the other rules or limits of this power. Having say a hundred, or a thousand snake people who were all suddenly calling him Master felt like a recipe for chaos.
Tyler thought of simply ordering the girls to go back to their lives, and forget about the changes all together, but that felt wrong. He'd changed them. That made them his responsibility right?
Tyler thought of using the flute to change them back... but how? He didn't know how he'd gotten the song to change them in the first place. And trying to imagine the reptilian beauties before him turning into the humans they'd been a moment ago, their clothes returning... it would have likely had been the most logical and right thing to do. Along with throw the flute into a fire somewhere (unless that actually unleashed an angry snake spirit). But he couldn't actually form the image in his mind, the two ladies before him were the most beautiful creatures he'd ever beheld... it felt, WRONG to make the world a little bit smaller by removing them from it.
He knew he should test the flute's limits, what it could and couldn't do... but, changing two ladies on accident was one thing. But changing random people on purpose with a power he didn't even understand let alone had figured out all the rules for yet? It felt way too reckless and selfish. Even if he definitely thought the forms the ladies had was definitely an improvement (which they themselves clearly agreed with), he didn't want to accidentally turn someone into say a tadpole person on a hot summer day!
When faced when something this fantastical, right now, his best bet was to fall back on something fundamental to keep himself grounded.
Tyler ran his hands through his hair and said, "Amber, Rachel, please sit down and tell me about yourselves. Your lives. Your jobs, home, family, friends."
"Of course Master!" The snake women hissed happily, crossing their hands at their waist and bowing, before joining him on the bench, their tails coil at they sat down.
"Oh, and I forgot, my name is Tyler."
"Pleasure to meet you Master Tyler!" They echoed, clearly enjoying being verbally in sync.
Amber said, "Well Master, I have two big brothers, and I used to have dreams of being a web designer... bow I'm just a retail clerk at the hot-tub store. I mostly friends with my family, friends I did have... all moved oversees to seek better careers. Now I can serve you Master, I've realized that was always my life's calling! I live by myself."
Rachel said, "I planned to be a model all through high-school... but I didn't quiet make the cut... I ended up working at the pharmacist if you can believe it. I have a little sister. I live with a roommate who paints miniatures for a living to pay for whatever he can smoke. I have a MMO shooter club I hang out with every weekend. I'm also happy I can now just serve you."
"I... I'm flattered. But I wouldn't quit your day jobs. It's not like I could pay you, and my home isn't that big. I still live with my family."
"I'm sure you'll figure something out Master," Amber said grinning, showing her fangs. "After all, your music is so wonderful! You can have tons of followers willing to donate to you so you can just focus on playing your music for everyone!"
These girls had his brainwashed snake people servants for five minutes and already they were thinking big! Perhaps TOO big for Tyler right now!
"Uh, girls, confession time. I only got this flute just before I saw you and started playing... I've played the flute before... but this flute is brand new."
"You've found YOUR true calling then too Master!" Amber cheered.
"Looks like your hit the jackpot," Rachel smirked. "Seriously, I never felt more alive than dancing to your music! It's like I was living life in a fog, and suddenly your music cleared it all away! There's no way everyone else isn't going to be falling over for your music!"
"I'm not even sure if it just turns people into snakes, or other creatures too," Tyler said. "There's just too many unknowns!"
"Whatever you chose Master I know it'll workout aright!" Amber said.
Amber's absolute faith in him was comforting at least, even if she sounded like a self-help tape.
"Well, there's only one way to make them NOT be unknowns," Rachel gestured to the countless people going about their lives walking to a fro. "Look at them. I bet any of them would be undying grateful just to listen to your music even once! Not that I wouldn't mind hearing it again! And no, don't you dare compare it to a drug or something! ... I ... Let's say I made some bad decision in collage. I didn't feel like I was lost in a sweet fog, again, I felt MORE clear than ever with your music! Humans have always been looking for something to unit everyone so they stop being bastards to each other! You can be that thing Master!"
Tyler shrank back a bit from the ambitious look in Rachel's eyes. "L-Look! I just came here with some friends, okay, maybe friends is too strong a word! They're more like companions of convenience. I prefer my online buddies believe it or not. Yes, sad lonely guy. I was just killing time until they were done shopping! I wasn't even looking for this flute when the rarities shop sold it to me!"
"Sounds like you've got your first Guinea pigs, I mean next people to be gifted with your music Master! With them we can find out if they're gonna all be nice and scaly like us, or if there'll be other kinds of forms locked away inside everyone." Rachel smiled.
"It... doesn't feel right to USE them like that."
"How is giving someone a gift using them?" Amber asked innocently.
"It is when you're not sure what the gift does! What it turns them into dung beetle people?"
"Then that's likely what they wanted to be deep down," Rachel said.
"Is being snakes what you wanted to be?" Tyler asked.
"... No. But now that I've experienced this upgrade, no offense Master, but there's no way I could go back to being a monkey." Rachel said.
"I actually drew lots and lots of pictures of bunnies when I was little," the green snake said. "But if this the form your music chose for me Master, then it must have been the right one!"
Rachel asked, "Where are your 'not so much' friends now?"
"In the jewelry store nearby, I really wasn't interested in watching them splurge cash on shiny rocks, so I decided to just wander and come back later."
"Oooh! I love putting on jewelry!" Amber declared.
"Show us the way Master, I want to meet your 'not really' friends." Rachel slithered up and reached out a hand.
"But didn't you both things to do?" Tyler asked.
"Not more important than you!" Amber declared.
"Today was both our day's off. The joke is, Amber and I met because we were the only two people watching an movie in theaters. Amber thought it was a romantic movie because of the ads sent her way, I thought it was an adventure movie because of the ads sent mine... turns out most of the scenes were just trailer bait."
Tyler nodded and got up, Amber obediently following.
The two snakes followed behind Tyler loyally, nobody gave them look you'd expect people to give. They turned heads, but not in a 'AHH! LIZARD MEN ARE REAL!' kind of way. Plenty of people looked in awe of their swaying tails and the movement of their scales, not wanting to look away.
Coming to the jewelry store, Tyler found the three girls inside, along with a hand of other customers and naturally staff.
Mary was the first to spot him and turn, trying on some old jewelry that looked quiet old (he wondered how much that cost), including some that, ironically, wouldn't have looked out of place in Egypt itself.
While Eve and Dora were trying to see how could be the most sparkling blinding before they were told to put the jewels back by management.
Mary waved, "Hey Tyler! Finally come to see where the cool stuff is? ... Whao!" She came close to Rachel and Amber in surprise. "I don't believe it!" She leaned in close examining the two snakes with a critical eye. "You actually met a pair of girls who look exactly like that art we commissioned a while back! ... Ooops!"
"Art we commissioned, what are you... wait a minute! You're MegaStudStallion?!" Tyler pointed.
"... I kinda realized you were DistantNotes a while back, but I didn't wanna ruin things for us... I picked the most stereotypical and silly 'manly man' name I could! I mean, it's like a guy picking a name like 'BigBoobieKitty!' It's screams trying too hard. I'm, honestly surprised no one ever called me out on it, I figured they were just being nice, or though I was being a butts."
Tyler felt a wave of dizziness, this was honestly more crazy than the snake people. "Please tell me Eve and Dora aren't-"
"No, they're not RedW0lf or WyldGUN092, or at least I hope they're not."
"How did you know?"
"The name of your pet cat, Bastet, you shouted their name when they were playing on your keyboard one game."
"Oh..." Tyler admitted.
Rachel pointed. "WAIT A MINUTE! Master! This is MegaStudStallion! You spawn snipered me you jerk! ... Forgive me Master!"
Mary made no reaction to Rachel calling him Master.
"You're gonna have to be more precise, I've done that to a lot. If it was illegal the game wouldn't allow it."
"It's called bad sportsman ship! Master, please uplift her into a good obedient servant! ... Not that it's my place to say such things!" Rachel quickly bowed.
"So you all know each other? It's like destiny!" Amber declared with a smile, putting her claws together.
Tyler normally didn't believe in destiny... but... he'd certainly found stranger things today.