At Lyntael's request, Suzume and Aya exchanged a look. "Well, she asked for it. Brace yourselves," Aya said as the three nodded to each other. The twins moved to flank DragonierMan and then produced a pair of smokebombs from under their robes. Tossing them at their feet, the three were enveloped in a white light as the smoke rose about them. Like the transformation sequence in a cartoon/anime, their shiny silhouettes lost all their clothes, spun around, and then began to be equipped with new, more questionable apparel.
Suzume and Aya were short and lithe women, clad from neck to foot in a fitted mesh body suit. Over this they wear a tank-top, a short skirt that reaches their knees, elbow-length gloves, and knee-length boots all made out of a dull-black hardened leather that absorbed light. Suzume's straight, golden hair flows out freely while Aya's is done up tightly in a single braided ponytail. They ended their spins with a little combat pose, holding kunai daggers in each hand. Their sharp gray eyes giving off a playful malevolence.
DragonierMan was a tall and muscled man, powerfully built, and possessing short, dark-gray, wavy hair, and gray eyes. Two horns sprout from the top of his head and extend up half-a foot, with a slight curve backward. Stylized tattoos in gold and gray, that depicts his navi symbol: a great stone tower, weave themselves across his bare chest. Superimposed around the stone tower was the grinning face of an oni, the horned demon mask symbol of the Neo-Shogun Faction. Moments later, following closely behind and over the tattoos, was actual leather and iron straps and buckles, forming the physical representation of a 'X'.
A plate-sized circular shield of metal stamps itself on the intersection of the cross, the stone tower and horned demon mask emblazoned upon it. A golden headband, knee-high boots, forearm bracers, a male thong, and a flowing loincloth, all in gold complete the look; along with a small, shoulder-to-waist-length golden-yellow cape with an emerald-green plus-sign and trim, reminding one of a Metool helmet, appears draped across his back. A pint-sized, golden-hilt sword appears on his waist. It appears to be a replica of those used by the Swordy virus, but sized for a Metool, and fits into a golden-yellow scabbard with the same Metool helmet design engraved upon the sword and sheath. It is tied around the left strap of his thong by a golden string. For someone as big as DragonierMan, the sword is more like a dagger.
"The Ardent, Dauntless Knight, Vigilant Partisan DragonierMan.EXE is here!" Drago shouts out as he goes through some bodybuilding competition poses as the smoke clears. Then the trio pauses for effect, or for Lyntael to take a picture, and then return to their normal standing forms. It was like He-Man was standing between two fetishistic ninja women. They then waited for Lyn's reaction. She was probably speechless.
The Wanderlust II with Lyntael and DragonierMan
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Lyntael felt a sudden thread of apprehension dart across her chest as her question drew conspiratorial looks and comments between the other women, and a lightly veiled warning. What in the world was she getting herself into? What if normal was already scandalous? Although, she supposed, that might be better, since it would be easier if everyone was wearing something risqué... she didn't have too much more time to think, however, as Drago and the girls made their outfit presentation a whole stage show; Lyntael could only watch on with morbid, and somewhat increasingly embarrassed fascination. She'd met a couple of navigators before with a flair for the dramatic in their outfit changes, but this one had to take a prize.
She focused first on Aya and Suzume as their transformations came through first; stylish but sensible, feminine, but not overly sexualising. So good so far... When her eyes returned to the centre of the performance, however, it was accompanied by a sudden catch in her breath and as she tried to swallow, the girl almost chocked and had to fight to stop herself coughing. Her cheeks flushed a bright flare of red as her eyes widened and she unconsciously clutched the bundle of clothing to her chest. That... that was certainly... something. She swallowed again, blinking a few times and trying to work out what to say.
“Oh... okay... That's, ah... that's... What, um... What rating did you say that one was?” She took a slow breath; he was clearly a powerfully built warrior, as she'd expected before, but she hadn't quite expected to see quite so much all at once. The outfit was more accessories than clothing. Still... if that was what had been made for him, then she needed to really push the envelope as far as she could dare, it seemed. How far could she dare? Terrified excitement made her heart race anew, to the point that she could hear the pulse of blood in her ears. Was she really going to do this?
“I kind of just want to make something like you two have instead, now, but... no, I'm going to do this. I am.” She nodded, though the words were mostly muttered to herself than spoken to her companions. “Be confident, just do it.” She took another long breath.
“Okay... I... I guess, it's not like you're expected to wear it all the time, right? You don't have to wear it whenever you're doing missions, just... It's more, um, I guess, ceremonial than anything else, right?” She pushed the nerves down and away as she listened to the answers, then began looking around.
“Um, I guess, while I've got you here... I can get the design done and you can tell me if I'll get in trouble or anything like that? I need to change...”
Further down the deck, the wooden flooring gave way to a glittering blue swimming pool, surrounded by more deck lounges, and behind it a bar – every bit as deserted as the rest of the ship at this stage, but that suited her purposes just fine. Lyntael pointed and began making her way there quickly.
Without hesitating, she ducked behind the counter of the bar, putting it between herself and the others, then hurriedly turned her back and started to change out of the entertaining dress and back into her normal vest and skirt.
“Just give me a minute... I think I can re-use the base for the dress GMO that Tango gave me, since I didn't completely bake it in...” As she slipped out of the dress and folded it over itself once, she placed it on the bar, glancing back over her shoulder ever now and then to talk; the bar was tall enough that all anyone was likely to see was her bare back, unless they tried for more.
“You'd think they'd have actual changing rooms here... it's supposed to be a cruise ship...” She was rambling, she knew, as nerves forced her to fill the space with chatter. “Though, I guess... most navigators can just,” she lifted one hand and waved her fingers about. “You know, change their clothes on their body right away... So I guess there's not usually a need?” She bent low, briefly, to pull her undergarments up and then fastened her skirt with a content sigh. That felt much better. Slipping the vest over her shoulders and fastening the buckles was the last step before she turned back to the others. Beside her, the folded up entertaining wear rested on the counter, minus the high-sided underwear that she'd left in the briefing cabin – they had probably degraded long since by now. Lyntael picked the bundle up and collapsed it back down into the GMO data packet that is had been original, sweeping the data itself off the base and drawing it into a long green string of information that curled through her fingers, then darted up around her wrist, up her arm and under her vest, before reappearing to circle slowly around the edge of her emblem.
“Okay... Do you think Tango would complain if we tried their drinks? I don't know what any of these are, but if I'm being reckless and silly, then why not?” She laughed, and as much as it sounded lighthearted, it was clear that Lyntael was growing increasingly nervous about making the outfit she spoke about, and by proxy, the idea of wearing such a thing.
She focused first on Aya and Suzume as their transformations came through first; stylish but sensible, feminine, but not overly sexualising. So good so far... When her eyes returned to the centre of the performance, however, it was accompanied by a sudden catch in her breath and as she tried to swallow, the girl almost chocked and had to fight to stop herself coughing. Her cheeks flushed a bright flare of red as her eyes widened and she unconsciously clutched the bundle of clothing to her chest. That... that was certainly... something. She swallowed again, blinking a few times and trying to work out what to say.
“Oh... okay... That's, ah... that's... What, um... What rating did you say that one was?” She took a slow breath; he was clearly a powerfully built warrior, as she'd expected before, but she hadn't quite expected to see quite so much all at once. The outfit was more accessories than clothing. Still... if that was what had been made for him, then she needed to really push the envelope as far as she could dare, it seemed. How far could she dare? Terrified excitement made her heart race anew, to the point that she could hear the pulse of blood in her ears. Was she really going to do this?
“I kind of just want to make something like you two have instead, now, but... no, I'm going to do this. I am.” She nodded, though the words were mostly muttered to herself than spoken to her companions. “Be confident, just do it.” She took another long breath.
“Okay... I... I guess, it's not like you're expected to wear it all the time, right? You don't have to wear it whenever you're doing missions, just... It's more, um, I guess, ceremonial than anything else, right?” She pushed the nerves down and away as she listened to the answers, then began looking around.
“Um, I guess, while I've got you here... I can get the design done and you can tell me if I'll get in trouble or anything like that? I need to change...”
Further down the deck, the wooden flooring gave way to a glittering blue swimming pool, surrounded by more deck lounges, and behind it a bar – every bit as deserted as the rest of the ship at this stage, but that suited her purposes just fine. Lyntael pointed and began making her way there quickly.
Without hesitating, she ducked behind the counter of the bar, putting it between herself and the others, then hurriedly turned her back and started to change out of the entertaining dress and back into her normal vest and skirt.
“Just give me a minute... I think I can re-use the base for the dress GMO that Tango gave me, since I didn't completely bake it in...” As she slipped out of the dress and folded it over itself once, she placed it on the bar, glancing back over her shoulder ever now and then to talk; the bar was tall enough that all anyone was likely to see was her bare back, unless they tried for more.
“You'd think they'd have actual changing rooms here... it's supposed to be a cruise ship...” She was rambling, she knew, as nerves forced her to fill the space with chatter. “Though, I guess... most navigators can just,” she lifted one hand and waved her fingers about. “You know, change their clothes on their body right away... So I guess there's not usually a need?” She bent low, briefly, to pull her undergarments up and then fastened her skirt with a content sigh. That felt much better. Slipping the vest over her shoulders and fastening the buckles was the last step before she turned back to the others. Beside her, the folded up entertaining wear rested on the counter, minus the high-sided underwear that she'd left in the briefing cabin – they had probably degraded long since by now. Lyntael picked the bundle up and collapsed it back down into the GMO data packet that is had been original, sweeping the data itself off the base and drawing it into a long green string of information that curled through her fingers, then darted up around her wrist, up her arm and under her vest, before reappearing to circle slowly around the edge of her emblem.
“Okay... Do you think Tango would complain if we tried their drinks? I don't know what any of these are, but if I'm being reckless and silly, then why not?” She laughed, and as much as it sounded lighthearted, it was clear that Lyntael was growing increasingly nervous about making the outfit she spoke about, and by proxy, the idea of wearing such a thing.
last edited by Azureink
"It was an eight (8)," DragonierMan replied to Lyntael, as the twins re-summoned and donned their cloaks to keep warm on the cold ocean front. "I modified it a little from what was created by Yasu. I moved some items around, added some that I acquired through my journeys, and brightened up the colors to be more flashy. Though I kept the general aesthetic intact," he said as he held out his palm and presented a tiny holographic projector disk. Turning it on there was a tiny, slowly rotating, full 3D model of him in the original outfit:
After allowing a thorough examination by Lyn, Drago turned the disk off and had it disappear into his closed fist. When he opened his hand again it was gone. "And no. I might consider it to be ceremonial, but General Yasu expects us to wear it all the time as a state of pride. Not that many of the other subordinates that I've ran into, myself included, do." He took a moment to brush a hand through his hair and give a sharp-toothed smile, his mostly naked, rippling pictorals gleaming from the sea-spray. "But there are times when I wear this when representing the 'flag' of the Neo-Shoguns. Most of the time, however, I am given missions where showing this off would get me in trouble. Like today when we had to pose undercover as waitstaff."
After Lyn stammered out that she wanted an outfit more like the twins, Suzume stepped forward with her arms out, and a set of folded clothes appeared in them. It was a cloned set of the same outfit she was wearing. "Well then here, I hope this helps you," she said, offering it to Lyn with a smirk. "Though this outfit wasn't actually made for the Neo-Shoguns... This was our original outfit when we were created. We started out as Shadow-subtype, after all," she said as if that were common knowledge. "When we eventually were upgraded into more soldiery-types, we kept them around for when we had to rely on stealth. It's very light and flexible," she added.
They then followed Lyn to the pool area, where she ducked into the bar to get changed. "They probably would change in their own room and then come to the pool," Aya helpfully added to Lyn's vocal consternation that there weren't any changing rooms at the pool. "You aren't the only person we've met that goes through the whole process. There are plenty of us who were created to mimic humanity as closely as possible. Either physically or in the day-to-day minutia. Some moreso than others."
As Lyn finished changing and asked about the drinks, Suzume attempted to sweep into the bar like a mini-whirlwind and shoo Lyn out, placing her on a stool on the other side and taking over the bar. "You just sit there and let me handle the drinks," she stated, probably trying to keep Lyn from doing anything too crazy. She then started taking inventory of what they had available, as well as scrounging up some menus which she put on the table. Aya chuckled as she sat down on one side of Lyn and picked up a menu. "What's Tango going to do if they find out, dance at us?" she laughed. Drago took up the other side of Lyn, unintentionally crowding her a little with his hunky bulk, and scanning the shelves of booze on the wall.
After a moment of silent perusal, Aya spoke up, handing Suzume the menu and pointing at the drink. "I'll have the 'Pirate Punch'." Suzume took a moment to read the menu, nodded, took another moment to look around a bit for the drink master list (that would describe exactly how much of each ingredient was in said drink), found that, read it, and then with another nod began mixing the drink. Eventually she placed a red-orange concoction in a fancy glass next to Aya, with a straw, a little umbrella with the cruise ship logo emblazoned upon it, and a slice of orange. "And what can I get you?" Suzume then asked Lyntael. DragonierMan was still silently deciding.
Aya took a sip of her drink before turning to Lyn. "So you've seen our outfits. You also seem to have the fashion-gene, as they say. And even though Yasu is the one to create the outfit you'll wear, how do you think you'll go about modifying it, when you do get it?"
Quote (NS_Uniform.GMO)
NS_Uniform.GMO features gray armor, consisting of a lower-body codpiece and tasset, along with long, clawed boots and gauntlets somewhat like Yasu's own. A black leather belt goes across both shoulders with an asymmetrical band continuing across his chest and back, stretched across one side. The belt holds rounded armor at the navi's left shoulder, along with a plate bearing the Neo-Shogun's horned demon flag emblem at the center of his chest. His own emblem is still worn at the tasset belt. The space covered by the leather of the codpiece and tasset armor is large enough for some degree of modesty in regular movement.
After allowing a thorough examination by Lyn, Drago turned the disk off and had it disappear into his closed fist. When he opened his hand again it was gone. "And no. I might consider it to be ceremonial, but General Yasu expects us to wear it all the time as a state of pride. Not that many of the other subordinates that I've ran into, myself included, do." He took a moment to brush a hand through his hair and give a sharp-toothed smile, his mostly naked, rippling pictorals gleaming from the sea-spray. "But there are times when I wear this when representing the 'flag' of the Neo-Shoguns. Most of the time, however, I am given missions where showing this off would get me in trouble. Like today when we had to pose undercover as waitstaff."
After Lyn stammered out that she wanted an outfit more like the twins, Suzume stepped forward with her arms out, and a set of folded clothes appeared in them. It was a cloned set of the same outfit she was wearing. "Well then here, I hope this helps you," she said, offering it to Lyn with a smirk. "Though this outfit wasn't actually made for the Neo-Shoguns... This was our original outfit when we were created. We started out as Shadow-subtype, after all," she said as if that were common knowledge. "When we eventually were upgraded into more soldiery-types, we kept them around for when we had to rely on stealth. It's very light and flexible," she added.
They then followed Lyn to the pool area, where she ducked into the bar to get changed. "They probably would change in their own room and then come to the pool," Aya helpfully added to Lyn's vocal consternation that there weren't any changing rooms at the pool. "You aren't the only person we've met that goes through the whole process. There are plenty of us who were created to mimic humanity as closely as possible. Either physically or in the day-to-day minutia. Some moreso than others."
As Lyn finished changing and asked about the drinks, Suzume attempted to sweep into the bar like a mini-whirlwind and shoo Lyn out, placing her on a stool on the other side and taking over the bar. "You just sit there and let me handle the drinks," she stated, probably trying to keep Lyn from doing anything too crazy. She then started taking inventory of what they had available, as well as scrounging up some menus which she put on the table. Aya chuckled as she sat down on one side of Lyn and picked up a menu. "What's Tango going to do if they find out, dance at us?" she laughed. Drago took up the other side of Lyn, unintentionally crowding her a little with his hunky bulk, and scanning the shelves of booze on the wall.
After a moment of silent perusal, Aya spoke up, handing Suzume the menu and pointing at the drink. "I'll have the 'Pirate Punch'." Suzume took a moment to read the menu, nodded, took another moment to look around a bit for the drink master list (that would describe exactly how much of each ingredient was in said drink), found that, read it, and then with another nod began mixing the drink. Eventually she placed a red-orange concoction in a fancy glass next to Aya, with a straw, a little umbrella with the cruise ship logo emblazoned upon it, and a slice of orange. "And what can I get you?" Suzume then asked Lyntael. DragonierMan was still silently deciding.
Aya took a sip of her drink before turning to Lyn. "So you've seen our outfits. You also seem to have the fashion-gene, as they say. And even though Yasu is the one to create the outfit you'll wear, how do you think you'll go about modifying it, when you do get it?"
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Part way through his initial answer, Lyntael winced, a nervous mumbled query escaping her at the idea of Yasu expecting full-time presentation. An only slightly reassured “y-yeah...” followed the consolation admission that most missions would probably not be appropriate for it, in reality.
By the time she was done changing and Suzume was coming in to examine what drinks were available, Lyntael was moving out again just as quickly, stepping back into the sun and redressed now in her original clothes. As nice as the fancy dress had been, there was something just infinitely 'right' about her usual day to day wear, she felt. She loved designing all sorts of clothes, costumes and outfits, and they were all wonderful for little specific things... but she never felt quite as comfortable or at home as when she was wearing her vest and skirt. And proper underwear.
She did accept the fresh set of clothing that Suzume offered, but managed a weak grin.
“Ha... thanks... It's kind of hard for me to take other pieces of clothing back home with me, like this, without a proper base to anchor them on... the, ah, the emulated link is pretty rough, and most things that aren't properly anchored to something get scrubbed... but I can try. I've managed to take little souvenirs home sometimes...” She glanced down at the bundle of fabric then drew a longer breath, setting them down on one of the lounges by the pool and dropping to sit cross-legged on the deck nearby, the GMO base that Tango had given her for the entertaining outfit between her hands.
As before, they could see her beginning to work on a new design, fingers moving with nimble care over the base and constructing a new outfit. She glanced up when Suzume had finished examining the bar and called for orders.
“Oh... Well, um, I guess if we're really... Do they have juices back there? I should probably...” She trailed off and seemed to stop herself, her brows drawing down into a more determined frown. “You know what, no. I'm an adult,” one look at her distinctly slight form, looking like an under-developed sixteen at the very most generous, made that particular statement a tenuous stretch. “I tried something alcoholic once, and it went fine. Sure. A cocktail then. Ummm... n-nothing too strong, but, if there's one there that's got, um, something sharp? Like, lemon, or pineapple maybe?” She nodded to herself, determined to press on with her 'confident, in control, adult' behaviour, even though the mission itself was done with.
As the others took seats nearby, Lyntael glanced first at Aya, then to Drago, and shuffled a little bit to make more room; she was feeling more comfortable now that she was dressed again and she'd pulled herself back from her earlier shouting fit, but even so... she didn't think she was quite safe to touch yet, and it felt a bit nerve-wracking to be designing what she was, without others right beside her. She looked back at the half-finished design and fought off the nervous blush that was warming her cheeks as she went. Just think about it as a design, for a show. Don't think about actually wearing it. Her eyes darted up to Aya, then flicked back to her work with a resurgence of the heated blush.
“W-well... I, um... I'm just taking the concepts o-of the basic shape of the standard uniform.” She cleared her throat and focused on the work itself more closely, losing herself in the details rather than thinking about it properly. “The way the tunic style looks, and the places it starts and ends, and how to translate that into a shape that suites me... but then I'm taking that, er, impression of a shape, and ah... I'm... ah... I'm...” She swallowed and looked our across the deck for a moment, shifting her legs and resettling. “You know... I said, I want this to be, really, really scandalous. And, the question was about... about how much skin I wanted it to show... and, um... well, that eight was pretty revealing, so...” Her breathing had quickened as she tried to explain, the nerves creeping up the more her mind came back to the image her her wearing what she was working on in front of other people.
“So, I'm making a design, and, um, and then I'll write to miss Yasu, and I'll ask her if it is acceptable as.. as... as an eight or nine...” She swallowed and determinedly focused back on her work, eyes down. After a few more seconds she flicked her eyes to Aya and Suzume, biting her lip. Small nervous cracks of electricity snapped like static in her hair every now and then.
“Ah... Is it normal to, um... I guess, do you have to, you know, show a lot of skin, often, or do... adult things... when you're working for the Neo-Shogunate?” Her tone sounded like she expected one answer but didn't really know what kind of answer she was hoping to get.
By the time she was done changing and Suzume was coming in to examine what drinks were available, Lyntael was moving out again just as quickly, stepping back into the sun and redressed now in her original clothes. As nice as the fancy dress had been, there was something just infinitely 'right' about her usual day to day wear, she felt. She loved designing all sorts of clothes, costumes and outfits, and they were all wonderful for little specific things... but she never felt quite as comfortable or at home as when she was wearing her vest and skirt. And proper underwear.
She did accept the fresh set of clothing that Suzume offered, but managed a weak grin.
“Ha... thanks... It's kind of hard for me to take other pieces of clothing back home with me, like this, without a proper base to anchor them on... the, ah, the emulated link is pretty rough, and most things that aren't properly anchored to something get scrubbed... but I can try. I've managed to take little souvenirs home sometimes...” She glanced down at the bundle of fabric then drew a longer breath, setting them down on one of the lounges by the pool and dropping to sit cross-legged on the deck nearby, the GMO base that Tango had given her for the entertaining outfit between her hands.
As before, they could see her beginning to work on a new design, fingers moving with nimble care over the base and constructing a new outfit. She glanced up when Suzume had finished examining the bar and called for orders.
“Oh... Well, um, I guess if we're really... Do they have juices back there? I should probably...” She trailed off and seemed to stop herself, her brows drawing down into a more determined frown. “You know what, no. I'm an adult,” one look at her distinctly slight form, looking like an under-developed sixteen at the very most generous, made that particular statement a tenuous stretch. “I tried something alcoholic once, and it went fine. Sure. A cocktail then. Ummm... n-nothing too strong, but, if there's one there that's got, um, something sharp? Like, lemon, or pineapple maybe?” She nodded to herself, determined to press on with her 'confident, in control, adult' behaviour, even though the mission itself was done with.
As the others took seats nearby, Lyntael glanced first at Aya, then to Drago, and shuffled a little bit to make more room; she was feeling more comfortable now that she was dressed again and she'd pulled herself back from her earlier shouting fit, but even so... she didn't think she was quite safe to touch yet, and it felt a bit nerve-wracking to be designing what she was, without others right beside her. She looked back at the half-finished design and fought off the nervous blush that was warming her cheeks as she went. Just think about it as a design, for a show. Don't think about actually wearing it. Her eyes darted up to Aya, then flicked back to her work with a resurgence of the heated blush.
“W-well... I, um... I'm just taking the concepts o-of the basic shape of the standard uniform.” She cleared her throat and focused on the work itself more closely, losing herself in the details rather than thinking about it properly. “The way the tunic style looks, and the places it starts and ends, and how to translate that into a shape that suites me... but then I'm taking that, er, impression of a shape, and ah... I'm... ah... I'm...” She swallowed and looked our across the deck for a moment, shifting her legs and resettling. “You know... I said, I want this to be, really, really scandalous. And, the question was about... about how much skin I wanted it to show... and, um... well, that eight was pretty revealing, so...” Her breathing had quickened as she tried to explain, the nerves creeping up the more her mind came back to the image her her wearing what she was working on in front of other people.
“So, I'm making a design, and, um, and then I'll write to miss Yasu, and I'll ask her if it is acceptable as.. as... as an eight or nine...” She swallowed and determinedly focused back on her work, eyes down. After a few more seconds she flicked her eyes to Aya and Suzume, biting her lip. Small nervous cracks of electricity snapped like static in her hair every now and then.
“Ah... Is it normal to, um... I guess, do you have to, you know, show a lot of skin, often, or do... adult things... when you're working for the Neo-Shogunate?” Her tone sounded like she expected one answer but didn't really know what kind of answer she was hoping to get.
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After Lyntael described her problem with holding on to the new clothing given to her, Aya rolled her eyes, and Suzume frowned. "Well then, we'll just have to do this..." she said as she reached forward and tapped the folded clothes. As if being sucked into a black hole, the clothes swirled like water going down a drain, and were compressed into a GMO data packet in Lyn's hands. "There, that should be easier to hold on to," she said with a smile. "Just tuck it into your vest or something."
GET: Ninja.GMO
Lyn then ordered a lemon and pineapple fruity cocktail with minimal alcohol. Suzume looked at her ingredient list in thought for a moment, before picking up some bottles and began mixing. A minute later Lyn was presented with a bright yellow drink with a slice of lemon and a slice of pineapple on the glass. The standard clear straw and little umbrella were also added to complete the look. Suzume puffed up her chest a little with pride in the good work she did. "Hopefully this isn't too strong, alcoholic wise. Though it might be a bit tart with both lemon and pineapple blended in."
"I'll just have a piña colada," DragonierMan finally decided. Suzume poured herself a spritzer and took a drink before getting started on the piña colada. Aya spun around on her stool to watch Lyn, as she worked on and described her new outfit, while she sipped on her drink. "I think that a ten (10) is basically what the Generals wear, which for all intents and purposes is just a bikini," she offered to Lyn's discussion. "So if you wear anything more than that, such as Drago here, then you won't be wearing what amounts to underwear in public; which is what bikinis are to me."
"Also yeah..." Aya sighed, before taking another sip. "You would think that just because those Generals all wear their underwear in public, that they would be sending us off on semi-scandalous missions all the time." Aya chuckled a little before continuing. "But you would be amazed at how prudish most of them really are, especially Yasu." Aya waved a hand dismissively. "She is one of those girls who cares too much about her appearance. Flaunting her body like a narcissis. She isn't even blind in that eye," Aya revealed, pantomiming the eyepatch Yasu wears. "She just wears it because she wants to broadcast her own internal problems to everyone. 'Oh look at me, I have issues. I put out a hard exterior. Look at how sexy I am, but don't touch. Tee hee'," Aya slurred in a mocking, sing-song voice, that was supposed to be a parody of Yasu.
Suzume both nodded and shook her head. She clearly agreed with Aya's drunken rant, but was a little embarrassed with her sister's drop of decorum. "Now, now, no need to mock the 'Head General'," Suzume said to Aya with big air-quotes. Both twins clearly didn't hold Yasu with much respect. She then turned to Lyn, "There are plenty of assignments that you can take that have nothing to do with 'doing adult things'," she said with more air-quotes. "Though if you feel you are up to missions where you show a lot of skin and get into trouble, then there will probably be enough to slake your thirst," Suzume added with a knowing smirk. Lyntael had definitely not been reserved about her appetite for the riskier things. "We've also gotten into a few situations, like today, where the mission itself wasn't supposed to go 'that way', but it ended up going 'that way' anyways," Suzume concluded with more air-quotes.
Aya chuckled, still nursing her drink. "We could tell you stories..." she offered with a toothy smirk. Drago kept quiet during this whole exchange, not wanting to go into detail himself, but not trying to stop the 'girl talk' as he sipped his own cloudy-white drink.
GET: Ninja.GMO
Lyn then ordered a lemon and pineapple fruity cocktail with minimal alcohol. Suzume looked at her ingredient list in thought for a moment, before picking up some bottles and began mixing. A minute later Lyn was presented with a bright yellow drink with a slice of lemon and a slice of pineapple on the glass. The standard clear straw and little umbrella were also added to complete the look. Suzume puffed up her chest a little with pride in the good work she did. "Hopefully this isn't too strong, alcoholic wise. Though it might be a bit tart with both lemon and pineapple blended in."
"I'll just have a piña colada," DragonierMan finally decided. Suzume poured herself a spritzer and took a drink before getting started on the piña colada. Aya spun around on her stool to watch Lyn, as she worked on and described her new outfit, while she sipped on her drink. "I think that a ten (10) is basically what the Generals wear, which for all intents and purposes is just a bikini," she offered to Lyn's discussion. "So if you wear anything more than that, such as Drago here, then you won't be wearing what amounts to underwear in public; which is what bikinis are to me."
"Also yeah..." Aya sighed, before taking another sip. "You would think that just because those Generals all wear their underwear in public, that they would be sending us off on semi-scandalous missions all the time." Aya chuckled a little before continuing. "But you would be amazed at how prudish most of them really are, especially Yasu." Aya waved a hand dismissively. "She is one of those girls who cares too much about her appearance. Flaunting her body like a narcissis. She isn't even blind in that eye," Aya revealed, pantomiming the eyepatch Yasu wears. "She just wears it because she wants to broadcast her own internal problems to everyone. 'Oh look at me, I have issues. I put out a hard exterior. Look at how sexy I am, but don't touch. Tee hee'," Aya slurred in a mocking, sing-song voice, that was supposed to be a parody of Yasu.
Suzume both nodded and shook her head. She clearly agreed with Aya's drunken rant, but was a little embarrassed with her sister's drop of decorum. "Now, now, no need to mock the 'Head General'," Suzume said to Aya with big air-quotes. Both twins clearly didn't hold Yasu with much respect. She then turned to Lyn, "There are plenty of assignments that you can take that have nothing to do with 'doing adult things'," she said with more air-quotes. "Though if you feel you are up to missions where you show a lot of skin and get into trouble, then there will probably be enough to slake your thirst," Suzume added with a knowing smirk. Lyntael had definitely not been reserved about her appetite for the riskier things. "We've also gotten into a few situations, like today, where the mission itself wasn't supposed to go 'that way', but it ended up going 'that way' anyways," Suzume concluded with more air-quotes.
Aya chuckled, still nursing her drink. "We could tell you stories..." she offered with a toothy smirk. Drago kept quiet during this whole exchange, not wanting to go into detail himself, but not trying to stop the 'girl talk' as he sipped his own cloudy-white drink.
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Lyntael accepted the drink and paused in her work to take a sip immediately. Her eyes fluttered closed and the sensation seemed to visibly pass through her body in a shiver and arc of her back as the mix of citric flavours lit up all of her senses; she felt her toes curl up tightly and failed to hold back a quiet moan while she savoured the taste. Of all her recent experiments in trying foods and experiencing tastes, these sorts of sharp flavours still had the biggest impact on her, and the drink added fresh heat to her cheeks. After a second or two she blinked her eyes open again and let out a shaky breath, then gently set the drink down on a side bench next to where she was sitting.
“Thanks! It's really good... I only really first tasted anything at all a few weeks ago, but that one, lemon and lime, and pineapple... that's still the most amazing thing!” Before hse could really stop herself, she leaned over, angling to get the straw in her mouth for a second small sip without having to pick the drink up again, and hummed, biting her lip briefly as she ran her tongue around her mouth.
As she got back to work, she turned her occasional glances towards Aya and listened to her descriptions of other outfits, other generals, and her view on things. The impression make her giggle for a moment, though she ducked her head, a brief flare of embarrassment following the laughter.
“I- I mean... someone can wear... sexy clothes just because they want to feel that way, or because they want to look nice... It's... it's not an advert or anything... I don't think you should...” She looked down at herself, then at her work, the pink of her cheeks deepened to a richer crimson; she felt like her face was on fire now. What was she even doing, making something like this? There was no way she was going to wear this. The idea of it was enough to make her heart feel like it was going to stop. She pressed on, stripping back a few more pieces of the design and reducing it further still, as though to spite her own doubts.
“I'm... I'm not really, comfortable dressing... you know... sexy, or provocative. Not really. Um... It's hard to explain. I like making outfits. I like... oh... just imagining situations, and maybe trying things on, when I'm alone, just... in my bedroom, you know? I can be charming, I like to think, and I used to enjoy flirting, a bit, kind of, before...” She shook her head, shutting out the bad memories before they could crash in on her mind. “But I really don't think I'm comfortable with showing a lot of skin, or anything like that. I just like making costumes. I imagine wearing them out, or I think of them for other people... that's all. Then something happens and I end up wearing one of them ,and I practically die of he embarrassment!” She looked down at her design again, swallowed and took another long sip of her drink as she stared down the barrel of knowing that she was, indeed, going to be the one wearing this, and likely were at least some other people could see. She was going to wear this in front of Rogan, just to get a reaction form him, and if that wasn't enough make her implode from anxiety, nothing would. It was almost finished, too. She didn't have much more she could add. Or take away. She fought down a rising sense of panic. Was this too much? Was it going too far? Only one way to find out, she supposed. She looked up at Aya and Suzume, then at DragonierMan. Her heart quailed.
“U-um... Ah, I think this is ready...” The terror of what she was about to do yawned in front of her and all the heat in her cheeks became a sinking cold of trembling nerves, but she finalised the design and then activated it; the small bundle of fabric appeared in her hands, wrapped up in a small cloth. She looked down at it, taking long breaths. There were was nothing here. She stood, but looked to Aya and Suzume desperately now.
“I- If I try it on, could you tell me if it's going too far? It's meant to be too much, it is, but, I don't want to get in trouble with miss Yasu either... But maybe, um...” Her eyes went from the twins, towards Drago and then back again, pleading. She could probably try it on for Aya and Suzume and get their opinions, without dying of shame, but in this last moment she didn't think her courage would hold out being seen by a man. “Maybe, ah, just.. just you both?” She clutched the criminally small parcel of her new outfit tighter, and turned an apologetic eye towards Drago. “I... I can't. Please?” Despite what others had said about Drago, and warned Lyntael of, he'd so far been every bit the gentleman, as far as she'd seen. It wasn't even his fault, she knew, but her own hang-ups. Still, she didn't doubt for a moment that he'd relent and give them some privacy now. She waited nervously until he gave them some space, fidgeting and shifting from one foot to another.
“Okay... Um.. So...” She closed her eyes and made an effort to take a longer, slower breath that saw her shoulders rise and fall. When she looked up again, she grinned for Aya and Suzume. “Alright, I don't want to spoil it, so, look away and give me a minute, I'll tell you when I'm ready, okay?”
There wasn't any point is shifting behind the bar this time, she decided; there was no-one else on the deck anyway, after all. Instead she hesitated for a few more seconds once all eyes were off her, then with a sudden rush of determination she unfastened her vest and unhitched her skirt, dropping them to the side on one of the deck lunges. She didn't even have anything to blame for it this time. This one was all on her. She changed quickly, trying to go faster than her nerves could keep up with; Aya and Suzume at least would be able to hear the soft whisking of her slipping off her undergarments and then beginning to pull on something new – though even by the sound of it, there wasn't much material moving against skin at all. There was silence for several more long moments after it sounded like Lyntael was standing still again, save for the sound of her nervous breathing.
She looked down at herself, and carefully tried to straighten a few of the cloth strips as best she could. It all fit perfectly snug, even if that make it a slightly odd sensation to wear in one or two particular places, but she tried not to think about it. Somehow she was 'dressed' now, and it was all finished, and she didn't have any more excuses to delay. She looked at herself again, and felt more or less naked anyway. Light, why was she doing this? Okay... just ask, and see what they say... Okay... She cleared her throat.
“So... be honest... is this going to make Yasu kick me out of your club?” She tried to put some humour into the invitation to look, but her voice still shook and it was all she could do to stop her limbs trembling.
When the twins looked back to see, Lyntael held her arms out to the side, then turned slowly turned, one arm reaching up above her in a graceful curve, while her opposite foot came off the deck and stretched out slightly.
The outfit, if it could still be rightly called one, gave the impression of the neo-shogunate's standard uniform, at a quick glance – at least, it gave the suggestion of the shape of their standard tunic. Rather than covering material, however, the top was comprised only of thin, stylistic strips of material, with bare skin in between; they were enough to mark the frame of a tunic, and to let it sit straight, but that was about all – it was far, far more space than cloth. Two curling wind designs, in thunderstorm green, rested across the tops of the shoulders, splitting into a twin branch of xanthic yellow lightning bolts that formed the 'seams' of the tunic's sleeves – each strip of material was no more than a centimetre wide at any stage, and the lightning bolts tapered to points at each end before joining up with the next in line.
The v-front of the garment was formed by two more long lightning bolts, cutting steeply down to frame her emblem right where the bolts zig-zagged. Where the 'v' met, the two bolts crossed over and continued several more inches down, until they met a curling strip of green fabric, styled to look like blowing winds which circled around her body just below her solar plexus. The wind pattern strip appeared to mark the 'bottom' of the top half of the outfit. In the centre, the wind currents met and curled up away from each other, while the front-v lightning bolts met the green on either side. Part way down these main two front strips, the lightning branched, sending two more thinner bolts at an opposed angle across the barely showing swells of the girl's breasts; though the zig-zag of each bolt covered her nipples, just barely, to either side of the narrow strips the tell-tale pink of the edges of her areolae stood out, not quite covered and visible against the pale tone of her skin. These two 'modesty' bolts continued down at the same angle, to eventually meet with the green strip, at the sides of the top.
At her back, the 'tunic' was even less present; two slightly broader lightning bolts fell from the green wind curl that crossed the back of her neck, descending with multiple jagged zig-zags down the centre of her back, before striking into the green lower strip to either side of an identical wind-meeting curl pattern that was positioned in the centre at the back, as it was on the front.
While the upper tunic ended at a point just below her breasts, the midriff was left bare, save for Lyntael's own small sunburst navel piercing, before a second stylised curling wind band formed the upper band on an accompanying skirt, or at least, the suggestion of one. In reality, the 'skirt' was just the green curling band, draped with a dozen loose-floating lightning bolts that fell from it independently for about five inches – enough to reach her hips, but no more.
As these skirt pieces did nothing at all to cover her modesty, the outfit also had what would need to pass for built-in undergarments; two thin lightning bolts descending from the band of the skirt, underneath the loose ones, starting about six inches apart and falling into a narrow V towards her groin. The two bolts didn't actually meet until they had travelled dangerously low; between them, Lyntael's stylised lighting-bolt-shaped patch of short, soft yellow hair was almost entirely visible, with the bolts meeting and beginning to cover at a point that surely had to leave less than a centimetre of room before she would otherwise be showing something even more private. The back was no better; the green band met in the centre with two upward-curling wind patterns, with a single bolt of lighting striking down from the centre, before quickly thinning away to almost nothing; it presumably connected underneath, but if so, it was hidden entirely by the cleft of her buttocks.
As Lyntael finished her short, graceful turn she stood to face the others, fighting off the urge to cover herself; despite her nerves, she tried on a fairly tremulous grin and a giggle that was her best alternative to shrieking with embarrassment.
“So... what do you think? Shocking enough?” She was beyond blushing at this point; instead, faint patterns of dancing electricity swam just beneath the surface of her skin in a strangely complimenting pattern to her fairly thin excuse for an 'outfit'.
“Thanks! It's really good... I only really first tasted anything at all a few weeks ago, but that one, lemon and lime, and pineapple... that's still the most amazing thing!” Before hse could really stop herself, she leaned over, angling to get the straw in her mouth for a second small sip without having to pick the drink up again, and hummed, biting her lip briefly as she ran her tongue around her mouth.
As she got back to work, she turned her occasional glances towards Aya and listened to her descriptions of other outfits, other generals, and her view on things. The impression make her giggle for a moment, though she ducked her head, a brief flare of embarrassment following the laughter.
“I- I mean... someone can wear... sexy clothes just because they want to feel that way, or because they want to look nice... It's... it's not an advert or anything... I don't think you should...” She looked down at herself, then at her work, the pink of her cheeks deepened to a richer crimson; she felt like her face was on fire now. What was she even doing, making something like this? There was no way she was going to wear this. The idea of it was enough to make her heart feel like it was going to stop. She pressed on, stripping back a few more pieces of the design and reducing it further still, as though to spite her own doubts.
“I'm... I'm not really, comfortable dressing... you know... sexy, or provocative. Not really. Um... It's hard to explain. I like making outfits. I like... oh... just imagining situations, and maybe trying things on, when I'm alone, just... in my bedroom, you know? I can be charming, I like to think, and I used to enjoy flirting, a bit, kind of, before...” She shook her head, shutting out the bad memories before they could crash in on her mind. “But I really don't think I'm comfortable with showing a lot of skin, or anything like that. I just like making costumes. I imagine wearing them out, or I think of them for other people... that's all. Then something happens and I end up wearing one of them ,and I practically die of he embarrassment!” She looked down at her design again, swallowed and took another long sip of her drink as she stared down the barrel of knowing that she was, indeed, going to be the one wearing this, and likely were at least some other people could see. She was going to wear this in front of Rogan, just to get a reaction form him, and if that wasn't enough make her implode from anxiety, nothing would. It was almost finished, too. She didn't have much more she could add. Or take away. She fought down a rising sense of panic. Was this too much? Was it going too far? Only one way to find out, she supposed. She looked up at Aya and Suzume, then at DragonierMan. Her heart quailed.
“U-um... Ah, I think this is ready...” The terror of what she was about to do yawned in front of her and all the heat in her cheeks became a sinking cold of trembling nerves, but she finalised the design and then activated it; the small bundle of fabric appeared in her hands, wrapped up in a small cloth. She looked down at it, taking long breaths. There were was nothing here. She stood, but looked to Aya and Suzume desperately now.
“I- If I try it on, could you tell me if it's going too far? It's meant to be too much, it is, but, I don't want to get in trouble with miss Yasu either... But maybe, um...” Her eyes went from the twins, towards Drago and then back again, pleading. She could probably try it on for Aya and Suzume and get their opinions, without dying of shame, but in this last moment she didn't think her courage would hold out being seen by a man. “Maybe, ah, just.. just you both?” She clutched the criminally small parcel of her new outfit tighter, and turned an apologetic eye towards Drago. “I... I can't. Please?” Despite what others had said about Drago, and warned Lyntael of, he'd so far been every bit the gentleman, as far as she'd seen. It wasn't even his fault, she knew, but her own hang-ups. Still, she didn't doubt for a moment that he'd relent and give them some privacy now. She waited nervously until he gave them some space, fidgeting and shifting from one foot to another.
“Okay... Um.. So...” She closed her eyes and made an effort to take a longer, slower breath that saw her shoulders rise and fall. When she looked up again, she grinned for Aya and Suzume. “Alright, I don't want to spoil it, so, look away and give me a minute, I'll tell you when I'm ready, okay?”
There wasn't any point is shifting behind the bar this time, she decided; there was no-one else on the deck anyway, after all. Instead she hesitated for a few more seconds once all eyes were off her, then with a sudden rush of determination she unfastened her vest and unhitched her skirt, dropping them to the side on one of the deck lunges. She didn't even have anything to blame for it this time. This one was all on her. She changed quickly, trying to go faster than her nerves could keep up with; Aya and Suzume at least would be able to hear the soft whisking of her slipping off her undergarments and then beginning to pull on something new – though even by the sound of it, there wasn't much material moving against skin at all. There was silence for several more long moments after it sounded like Lyntael was standing still again, save for the sound of her nervous breathing.
She looked down at herself, and carefully tried to straighten a few of the cloth strips as best she could. It all fit perfectly snug, even if that make it a slightly odd sensation to wear in one or two particular places, but she tried not to think about it. Somehow she was 'dressed' now, and it was all finished, and she didn't have any more excuses to delay. She looked at herself again, and felt more or less naked anyway. Light, why was she doing this? Okay... just ask, and see what they say... Okay... She cleared her throat.
“So... be honest... is this going to make Yasu kick me out of your club?” She tried to put some humour into the invitation to look, but her voice still shook and it was all she could do to stop her limbs trembling.
When the twins looked back to see, Lyntael held her arms out to the side, then turned slowly turned, one arm reaching up above her in a graceful curve, while her opposite foot came off the deck and stretched out slightly.
The outfit, if it could still be rightly called one, gave the impression of the neo-shogunate's standard uniform, at a quick glance – at least, it gave the suggestion of the shape of their standard tunic. Rather than covering material, however, the top was comprised only of thin, stylistic strips of material, with bare skin in between; they were enough to mark the frame of a tunic, and to let it sit straight, but that was about all – it was far, far more space than cloth. Two curling wind designs, in thunderstorm green, rested across the tops of the shoulders, splitting into a twin branch of xanthic yellow lightning bolts that formed the 'seams' of the tunic's sleeves – each strip of material was no more than a centimetre wide at any stage, and the lightning bolts tapered to points at each end before joining up with the next in line.
The v-front of the garment was formed by two more long lightning bolts, cutting steeply down to frame her emblem right where the bolts zig-zagged. Where the 'v' met, the two bolts crossed over and continued several more inches down, until they met a curling strip of green fabric, styled to look like blowing winds which circled around her body just below her solar plexus. The wind pattern strip appeared to mark the 'bottom' of the top half of the outfit. In the centre, the wind currents met and curled up away from each other, while the front-v lightning bolts met the green on either side. Part way down these main two front strips, the lightning branched, sending two more thinner bolts at an opposed angle across the barely showing swells of the girl's breasts; though the zig-zag of each bolt covered her nipples, just barely, to either side of the narrow strips the tell-tale pink of the edges of her areolae stood out, not quite covered and visible against the pale tone of her skin. These two 'modesty' bolts continued down at the same angle, to eventually meet with the green strip, at the sides of the top.
At her back, the 'tunic' was even less present; two slightly broader lightning bolts fell from the green wind curl that crossed the back of her neck, descending with multiple jagged zig-zags down the centre of her back, before striking into the green lower strip to either side of an identical wind-meeting curl pattern that was positioned in the centre at the back, as it was on the front.
While the upper tunic ended at a point just below her breasts, the midriff was left bare, save for Lyntael's own small sunburst navel piercing, before a second stylised curling wind band formed the upper band on an accompanying skirt, or at least, the suggestion of one. In reality, the 'skirt' was just the green curling band, draped with a dozen loose-floating lightning bolts that fell from it independently for about five inches – enough to reach her hips, but no more.
As these skirt pieces did nothing at all to cover her modesty, the outfit also had what would need to pass for built-in undergarments; two thin lightning bolts descending from the band of the skirt, underneath the loose ones, starting about six inches apart and falling into a narrow V towards her groin. The two bolts didn't actually meet until they had travelled dangerously low; between them, Lyntael's stylised lighting-bolt-shaped patch of short, soft yellow hair was almost entirely visible, with the bolts meeting and beginning to cover at a point that surely had to leave less than a centimetre of room before she would otherwise be showing something even more private. The back was no better; the green band met in the centre with two upward-curling wind patterns, with a single bolt of lighting striking down from the centre, before quickly thinning away to almost nothing; it presumably connected underneath, but if so, it was hidden entirely by the cleft of her buttocks.
As Lyntael finished her short, graceful turn she stood to face the others, fighting off the urge to cover herself; despite her nerves, she tried on a fairly tremulous grin and a giggle that was her best alternative to shrieking with embarrassment.
“So... what do you think? Shocking enough?” She was beyond blushing at this point; instead, faint patterns of dancing electricity swam just beneath the surface of her skin in a strangely complimenting pattern to her fairly thin excuse for an 'outfit'.
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DragonierMan looked over Lyntael for a moment as she nervously fidgeted, then sighed. "I'll take a walk. You can call me back when you are done," he stated as he got up from his seat. He took his drink with him as he headed off the way they originally came from. His little golden cape flapping in the ocean breeze as he walked away, giving a good look at his chiseled backside and butt.
Suzume and Aya put down their drinks and moved out of the bar area so Lyn could use it to change. They took a few steps back to give her room and not to peek as she took off her original clothes and put on the more risky prototype uniform. When she reappeared to show off the outfit, the twins had trouble containing their shock at the brazenness of it all. Suzume had her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide, but sparkling. Aya meanwhile was grinning from ear to ear, her eyes watering a little, as she was clearly straining to contain her laughter.
"Well... I have to say I was not expecting this!" Aya said with a titter. "Who knew that this shy girl was secretly a lil' harlot. You are a lot stronger than I thought. Though you probably shouldn't flaunt that around the Master, he might take you up on the invitation," she teased. Unfortunately, due to Lyn bearing her heart and soul out, it came across a little too cruelly.
"Are you sure you want to wear that?" Suzume almost whispered in concern as Aya devolved into a fit of laughter. "That is a really bold decision, and it might give people the wrong idea about you... That is, unless, you actually want them to think of you that way?" Suzume then caught herself and straightened up, coughing into her hand. "Sorry, where were our manners? Instead of gawking at you, you probably want us to look at it with a more discerning eye. Well... Stylistically it fits what we've seen of you, especially with all the electricity you give off."
Aya finished laughing and wiped away her tears. "I could see it on the runway of the next 'Sexy Lingerie' fashion show," she added. "You should ask Yasu for the Neo-Shoguns public relations team to have one. I bet that will drive up recruitment, good will, and add a little coin to the coffers. Just tell her that it will let them take pride in their bodies like she always claims to do. She won't be able to say no," Aya suggested.
"I would bet that Master would want to judge," Suzume added. "I bet plenty of people would be interested in it as well. Our lil' Lyn could become a star fashion designer! I bet all the positive attention would warm Hime and Yasu back up to us. They barely take our calls anymore unless there is an assignment," Suzume said to Aya, who nodded along.
Suzume and Aya put down their drinks and moved out of the bar area so Lyn could use it to change. They took a few steps back to give her room and not to peek as she took off her original clothes and put on the more risky prototype uniform. When she reappeared to show off the outfit, the twins had trouble containing their shock at the brazenness of it all. Suzume had her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide, but sparkling. Aya meanwhile was grinning from ear to ear, her eyes watering a little, as she was clearly straining to contain her laughter.
"Well... I have to say I was not expecting this!" Aya said with a titter. "Who knew that this shy girl was secretly a lil' harlot. You are a lot stronger than I thought. Though you probably shouldn't flaunt that around the Master, he might take you up on the invitation," she teased. Unfortunately, due to Lyn bearing her heart and soul out, it came across a little too cruelly.
"Are you sure you want to wear that?" Suzume almost whispered in concern as Aya devolved into a fit of laughter. "That is a really bold decision, and it might give people the wrong idea about you... That is, unless, you actually want them to think of you that way?" Suzume then caught herself and straightened up, coughing into her hand. "Sorry, where were our manners? Instead of gawking at you, you probably want us to look at it with a more discerning eye. Well... Stylistically it fits what we've seen of you, especially with all the electricity you give off."
Aya finished laughing and wiped away her tears. "I could see it on the runway of the next 'Sexy Lingerie' fashion show," she added. "You should ask Yasu for the Neo-Shoguns public relations team to have one. I bet that will drive up recruitment, good will, and add a little coin to the coffers. Just tell her that it will let them take pride in their bodies like she always claims to do. She won't be able to say no," Aya suggested.
"I would bet that Master would want to judge," Suzume added. "I bet plenty of people would be interested in it as well. Our lil' Lyn could become a star fashion designer! I bet all the positive attention would warm Hime and Yasu back up to us. They barely take our calls anymore unless there is an assignment," Suzume said to Aya, who nodded along.
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Hanging on the moment for their reaction, Lyntael could only gasp at the first response, and the urge to cover herself one out temporarily in response; her knees buckled slightly inwards, thighs together as she thrust a hand down over her groin and another across her chest. Wide-eyed mortification dominated her features as she stammered at Aya.
“I- I am not!! It's not an... an invitation! Don't say that!!” The rosy glow returned as she shrank back, putting fingers up to cover her face now instead. What was she doing? Why had she made it this bad? It was meant to be a uniform, she shouldn't be doing this as a one time stunt. It was so stupid... self-conscious reprimands rattled through her mind as she squeezed her eyes closed, then more cautiously peeked through them.
“No, I-I don't... I'm not! It's just... it's just meant to be...” She trailed away, but despite the situation, the background ridiculousness of it all cushioned her fear and embarrassment a little bit. Gradually, Aya's laughter made her shoulders slump a little and she pressed her hands to her face more firmly, groaning into them. When she lifted her head, however, she was grinning as well, if a touch rueful and self-depreciating.
“This is so stupid...” She shook her head and tried to stand properly again, beginning to relax a little bit; it wasn't as though it was getting any worse, now that they'd both seen it. It really was a silly thing to be doing. She wasn't completely convinced about the organisation, now that she'd seen some more elements of it, but if she wanted to take her sign-up seriously, making this her formal uniform, as anything more than a one-off statement, was just... just dumb. What was she doing? She took a few steps, trying to walk off the rest of her shame and force herself to be a bit more comfortable. If she kept moving a little bit, and didn't make too much eye contact, she could mostly convince herself that she wasn't practically naked. Besides, it was just Aya and Suzume for now, so it wasn't really that big a deal, really. She glanced further off down the deck to be sure that the male in the group wasn't peeking. As she walked, she closed her eyes and let her body sway a little bit with, settling back into her natural, unconscious grace as she focused on calming down again.
“I just really like designing clothes. I like making... sexy things. But I don't ever really think about wearing them myself. I don't really, ah... act that way, or put myself out like that... I've never really... um... you know, I haven't ever really done anything like that....” Her calm wavered briefly as a particular memory nudged itself forward in her mind. For once, it was a nicer one. “Um, well, I mean, other than maybe a kiss, once... kind of...” She let herself spin one one foot as she turned about, and felt the short trailing strips of fabric that were pretending to be her skirt flare with the motion. The breeze on her skin felt nice, even if it was passing over more of her skin than usual. If she really thought about it, it wasn't that much more than usual, even... not really. Her vest was light and small, and her skirt was still just a skirt...
After a few moment she wandered back and sat down on one of the lounges, cross-legged and with one hand tactfully in her lap while she reclaimed her drink and took another longer sip. She looked at the twins, then back down the deck for a moment.
“Hey, um... I meant to ask... Before, you said, uh, that DragonierMan has some kind of...” A faint pink warmed her cheeks, this time unrelated to her state of dress. “Some sort of, ah, harem... situation... going on. I didn't want to ask, all out in the open, but... What did you mean, and...” She bit her lip, her eyes flicking between Aya and Suzume. “Um, the way you talk, and act... ah, you called him 'master'... is that like... a sex thing?” Her blush deepened and she ducked her head and shoulders, apologetic for asking in the first place. It would probably be clear from the uncertainty in her question that Lyntael herself didn't really understand too much about the topic she was prodding; it didn't seem to have occurred to the girl that they were support programs, rather than navigators, to warrant such a term.
“I- I am not!! It's not an... an invitation! Don't say that!!” The rosy glow returned as she shrank back, putting fingers up to cover her face now instead. What was she doing? Why had she made it this bad? It was meant to be a uniform, she shouldn't be doing this as a one time stunt. It was so stupid... self-conscious reprimands rattled through her mind as she squeezed her eyes closed, then more cautiously peeked through them.
“No, I-I don't... I'm not! It's just... it's just meant to be...” She trailed away, but despite the situation, the background ridiculousness of it all cushioned her fear and embarrassment a little bit. Gradually, Aya's laughter made her shoulders slump a little and she pressed her hands to her face more firmly, groaning into them. When she lifted her head, however, she was grinning as well, if a touch rueful and self-depreciating.
“This is so stupid...” She shook her head and tried to stand properly again, beginning to relax a little bit; it wasn't as though it was getting any worse, now that they'd both seen it. It really was a silly thing to be doing. She wasn't completely convinced about the organisation, now that she'd seen some more elements of it, but if she wanted to take her sign-up seriously, making this her formal uniform, as anything more than a one-off statement, was just... just dumb. What was she doing? She took a few steps, trying to walk off the rest of her shame and force herself to be a bit more comfortable. If she kept moving a little bit, and didn't make too much eye contact, she could mostly convince herself that she wasn't practically naked. Besides, it was just Aya and Suzume for now, so it wasn't really that big a deal, really. She glanced further off down the deck to be sure that the male in the group wasn't peeking. As she walked, she closed her eyes and let her body sway a little bit with, settling back into her natural, unconscious grace as she focused on calming down again.
“I just really like designing clothes. I like making... sexy things. But I don't ever really think about wearing them myself. I don't really, ah... act that way, or put myself out like that... I've never really... um... you know, I haven't ever really done anything like that....” Her calm wavered briefly as a particular memory nudged itself forward in her mind. For once, it was a nicer one. “Um, well, I mean, other than maybe a kiss, once... kind of...” She let herself spin one one foot as she turned about, and felt the short trailing strips of fabric that were pretending to be her skirt flare with the motion. The breeze on her skin felt nice, even if it was passing over more of her skin than usual. If she really thought about it, it wasn't that much more than usual, even... not really. Her vest was light and small, and her skirt was still just a skirt...
After a few moment she wandered back and sat down on one of the lounges, cross-legged and with one hand tactfully in her lap while she reclaimed her drink and took another longer sip. She looked at the twins, then back down the deck for a moment.
“Hey, um... I meant to ask... Before, you said, uh, that DragonierMan has some kind of...” A faint pink warmed her cheeks, this time unrelated to her state of dress. “Some sort of, ah, harem... situation... going on. I didn't want to ask, all out in the open, but... What did you mean, and...” She bit her lip, her eyes flicking between Aya and Suzume. “Um, the way you talk, and act... ah, you called him 'master'... is that like... a sex thing?” Her blush deepened and she ducked her head and shoulders, apologetic for asking in the first place. It would probably be clear from the uncertainty in her question that Lyntael herself didn't really understand too much about the topic she was prodding; it didn't seem to have occurred to the girl that they were support programs, rather than navigators, to warrant such a term.
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Suzume and Aya looked at each other as Lyntael asked why they called DragonierMan - 'Master'. Aya blushed, sputtered, and waved her hand around in a dismissive manner. "What? No, not really. We're just his bodyguards and assassins. We haven't done much of anything with him."
"Just as he calls our Operator - 'Lord', we call Drago - 'Master' as a form of respect. Y'know, because we are his Support Programs, which were created and linked to his data. We found that it helps to quickly ground other people in the group dynamics, without having to take up a lot of time explaining where everyone sits on the hierarchy," Suzume clarified. "I guess some titles have their own little quirks though huh." Suzume ran some fingers across her chin in thought.
"Have you ever thought of getting a Support Program of your own?" Suzume asked. She then went back to the bar and sat down near her drink. "You can do like some and have your own humanoid companion. Or you could do like a lot of people and make them more like animal pets. Either could cut down your loneliness a bit."
Aya also came to sit down near her drink. "Hey, sorry about the last few minutes," she began. "We didn't mean to get you all mopey." She then took a long sip of her drink. "What made you like designing and wearing 'sexy things' anyways?" she asked with some air-quotes. "Usually we only see people with a ton of self confidence doing things like that."
DragonierMan was far gone at this point, leaving the three girls alone to talk and bond.
"Just as he calls our Operator - 'Lord', we call Drago - 'Master' as a form of respect. Y'know, because we are his Support Programs, which were created and linked to his data. We found that it helps to quickly ground other people in the group dynamics, without having to take up a lot of time explaining where everyone sits on the hierarchy," Suzume clarified. "I guess some titles have their own little quirks though huh." Suzume ran some fingers across her chin in thought.
"Have you ever thought of getting a Support Program of your own?" Suzume asked. She then went back to the bar and sat down near her drink. "You can do like some and have your own humanoid companion. Or you could do like a lot of people and make them more like animal pets. Either could cut down your loneliness a bit."
Aya also came to sit down near her drink. "Hey, sorry about the last few minutes," she began. "We didn't mean to get you all mopey." She then took a long sip of her drink. "What made you like designing and wearing 'sexy things' anyways?" she asked with some air-quotes. "Usually we only see people with a ton of self confidence doing things like that."
DragonierMan was far gone at this point, leaving the three girls alone to talk and bond.
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Despite herself, Lyntael couldn't help the small smirk that accompanied Aya's immediate reaction to her question. She tilted her head slightly, one eyebrow lifting up along with her grin. 'Not really' didn't sound like a 'not at all', and 'not much of anything' didn't sound like 'nothing' to her. Somehow, the turn of the conversation was letting her feel more comfortable than before – though possibly it was just the distraction and the safety of just being with other women.
About to press a little further, she caught her breath and started as Suzume clarified, immediately putting one hand to her mouth. She remained quiet while they explained further, eventually responding when the conversation gave her a moment.
“It's fine, it's fine, I'm feeling better now, really. I just like designing, making things, being creative, you know? Actually wearing these things is terrifying... but I think I'm feeling okay now. At least, as long as it's just you two. Maybe we could call DragonierMan back and ask what he things... er.. after I've finished my drink and I psyche myself up for it... maybe...” The thought made her heart quaver again, and she felt the same sense of cold, sinking dread that accompanied it like stepping up to the edge of a cliff. But she did want to be ready for what she needed to say, when she showed this to Rogan, and being scared witless wouldn't help that... so maybe it would be the next step... just... not right now. She looked down the deck where he'd vanished, then back to the twins.
“Oh! Oh, but, I'm sorry, I didn't... I didn't realise it was like that, with you and him. I just thought you were all, um... Sorry, sorry.... I'd never have thought you were support programs, I just assumed you were all a team of navigators that worked together. Is it like...” Her curiosity won over, despite the obvious embarrassment of her social gaff.
“So, I have this friend, Aurora, and she used to be a navigator, but there was... an accident, I think. Part of helping her survive meant that she had to be transferred to becoming a support program instead, with her partner, that's Eternalis, as the navigator. They both described it as something about compatible shells, and I didn't really get all of it. But, they can swap now, and she can be the navigator instead, now and then, when they want to. Is it like that?” She looked back and forth between the girls, pausing to try another sip of her drink; the citric flavour made her blink and sigh, and fight down another small moan of delight as her toes curled, but she set it down again to pay proper attention.
For now she knew she'd tactically dodged the question of whether she'd considered it herself. A friend would be nice, but she knew better than to dream of Rogan giving her something like that.
About to press a little further, she caught her breath and started as Suzume clarified, immediately putting one hand to her mouth. She remained quiet while they explained further, eventually responding when the conversation gave her a moment.
“It's fine, it's fine, I'm feeling better now, really. I just like designing, making things, being creative, you know? Actually wearing these things is terrifying... but I think I'm feeling okay now. At least, as long as it's just you two. Maybe we could call DragonierMan back and ask what he things... er.. after I've finished my drink and I psyche myself up for it... maybe...” The thought made her heart quaver again, and she felt the same sense of cold, sinking dread that accompanied it like stepping up to the edge of a cliff. But she did want to be ready for what she needed to say, when she showed this to Rogan, and being scared witless wouldn't help that... so maybe it would be the next step... just... not right now. She looked down the deck where he'd vanished, then back to the twins.
“Oh! Oh, but, I'm sorry, I didn't... I didn't realise it was like that, with you and him. I just thought you were all, um... Sorry, sorry.... I'd never have thought you were support programs, I just assumed you were all a team of navigators that worked together. Is it like...” Her curiosity won over, despite the obvious embarrassment of her social gaff.
“So, I have this friend, Aurora, and she used to be a navigator, but there was... an accident, I think. Part of helping her survive meant that she had to be transferred to becoming a support program instead, with her partner, that's Eternalis, as the navigator. They both described it as something about compatible shells, and I didn't really get all of it. But, they can swap now, and she can be the navigator instead, now and then, when they want to. Is it like that?” She looked back and forth between the girls, pausing to try another sip of her drink; the citric flavour made her blink and sigh, and fight down another small moan of delight as her toes curled, but she set it down again to pay proper attention.
For now she knew she'd tactically dodged the question of whether she'd considered it herself. A friend would be nice, but she knew better than to dream of Rogan giving her something like that.
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Suzume and Aya listened as Lyntael asked about the difference between Navigators and Support Progams. They also quirked their eyebrows at the mention of a Navigator and Support Program swapping which one lead. "Our Operator, unlike most, has tried to spread out the upgrades between the four of us." Aya replied to Lyn's questions. "Because of that, we are all almost as equally as effective as DragonierMan is... Minus some basic advantages that he has over us due to how zenny-based upgrades on Navigators work over those purchased through Bugfrags. Most Operators pour all their effort into the Navigator and let the Support Progams, if they have any, lag well behind to the point of almost uselessness."
Aya leaned back in her seat and rubbed her chin. "Though this is the first I've heard of anyone creating a way to allow the role of Navigator and Support Program to switch places." She thought for a moment before continuing. "I mean, I can see the theory behind it. Support Programs all have a core, like Navigators, that can hold and transfer data. The same data that gives us a physical body and personality." She opened her palm and produced a holographic image of two cylinders marked 'Navi Core' and 'SP Core'. From them sprouted two silhouettes of sexless mannequins. The one with the 'Navi Core' morphed further into a male silhouette, while the 'SP Core' turned into a female silhouette. The male silhouette had the name 'Eternalis' and the female 'Aurora'.
"Now a Support Program requires a Navigator to function, as it is a subordinate program, but this also causes the two to be tied directly together." To illustrate her point, a set of numbers in the form of a data-string stretched out from the man to the woman, until the two were linked. "Now the fact that you can link a Support Program core to a Navigator core and transfer data should allow you to determine which 'person' inhabits which core." The name 'Eternalis' catches a ride out of the 'Navi Core', travels along the top of the data-stream, and goes into the 'SP Core'. Meanwhile, 'Aurora' rides along the bottom from 'SP Core' to 'Navi Core'. The two mannequins silhouettes change sex so now 'Aurora' was inhabiting the 'Navi Core' and 'Eternalis' the 'SP Core'.
"It probably helped that your friend Aurora had been a Navi already, her data was probably more compatible with the process," Suzume added. "Just like Drago and his brush with death which caused our Operator to blend him with viral data in order for him to survive, this Aurora character was probably blended to an SP Core to save her from some sort of corruption." Aya closed her hand and the holograms disappeared, then she waved the empty hand dismissively. "Anyways, even if we could set up a similar time-sharing system, I wouldn't want to be a Navigator. They have to do all this extra work. I am just fine being an SP, brought out only when we get to see some real action. I enjoy my time off while Drago busts his ass on the day-to-day chores."
Suzume smiled and nodded along, her cheeks getting a little rosy due to the alcohol. "Yeah I agree, Master and Magistrate can take care of the trivial minutia. Besides it seems like Magistrate enjoys doing all the extra work.. well, she was a PET administrative program before being gifted a core of her own. Since our Operator deemed it necessary in order to increase our combat potential. Four battlers are better than three after all," she rambled. "But she is such a bitch. It must be because of all the work she does almost non-stop." She stirred her drink with one finger as she looked wistfully across the pool area. "Maybe all the work that Master does as a Navigator has caused him to be so moody all the time? Must be tough."
Aya leaned back in her seat and rubbed her chin. "Though this is the first I've heard of anyone creating a way to allow the role of Navigator and Support Program to switch places." She thought for a moment before continuing. "I mean, I can see the theory behind it. Support Programs all have a core, like Navigators, that can hold and transfer data. The same data that gives us a physical body and personality." She opened her palm and produced a holographic image of two cylinders marked 'Navi Core' and 'SP Core'. From them sprouted two silhouettes of sexless mannequins. The one with the 'Navi Core' morphed further into a male silhouette, while the 'SP Core' turned into a female silhouette. The male silhouette had the name 'Eternalis' and the female 'Aurora'.
"Now a Support Program requires a Navigator to function, as it is a subordinate program, but this also causes the two to be tied directly together." To illustrate her point, a set of numbers in the form of a data-string stretched out from the man to the woman, until the two were linked. "Now the fact that you can link a Support Program core to a Navigator core and transfer data should allow you to determine which 'person' inhabits which core." The name 'Eternalis' catches a ride out of the 'Navi Core', travels along the top of the data-stream, and goes into the 'SP Core'. Meanwhile, 'Aurora' rides along the bottom from 'SP Core' to 'Navi Core'. The two mannequins silhouettes change sex so now 'Aurora' was inhabiting the 'Navi Core' and 'Eternalis' the 'SP Core'.
"It probably helped that your friend Aurora had been a Navi already, her data was probably more compatible with the process," Suzume added. "Just like Drago and his brush with death which caused our Operator to blend him with viral data in order for him to survive, this Aurora character was probably blended to an SP Core to save her from some sort of corruption." Aya closed her hand and the holograms disappeared, then she waved the empty hand dismissively. "Anyways, even if we could set up a similar time-sharing system, I wouldn't want to be a Navigator. They have to do all this extra work. I am just fine being an SP, brought out only when we get to see some real action. I enjoy my time off while Drago busts his ass on the day-to-day chores."
Suzume smiled and nodded along, her cheeks getting a little rosy due to the alcohol. "Yeah I agree, Master and Magistrate can take care of the trivial minutia. Besides it seems like Magistrate enjoys doing all the extra work.. well, she was a PET administrative program before being gifted a core of her own. Since our Operator deemed it necessary in order to increase our combat potential. Four battlers are better than three after all," she rambled. "But she is such a bitch. It must be because of all the work she does almost non-stop." She stirred her drink with one finger as she looked wistfully across the pool area. "Maybe all the work that Master does as a Navigator has caused him to be so moody all the time? Must be tough."
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As she listened and sipped her drink, Lyntael shifted to stand and wandered over to the edge of the pool, taking a seat on the edge and swirling her feet in the water; the sun was warm and the breeze was nice, and the cool water made it almost perfect. Most of what they spoke about made a certain sort of academic sense, but she still couldn't really wrap her head around thinking about people in that way. It didn't seem to make real-world sense to her. She hoped she'd remembered how Aurora and Eternalis had described their situation correctly; some of those details had flown over her head then as well. She splashed one foot and looked back at the others.
“Maybe... I don't really know. I never really understood all about how most of that works. I just see all of you, and I see my friends, and... I mean... People are just people, right?” Her shoulders shrugged and she rolled her neck. “Mostly, Rogan complains about pointless complexity, and that he shouldn't have to have a medical degree to understand my readings. But... I don't know...” Unconsciously, one of her hands rose to her chest as two fingers began to rub a gentle circle around her emblem. “It was... like I was shouting about before... I don't think I have a 'core' like that... or anything like those sorts of neat systems... I just... I just bleed... my muscles pull and my bones break, and when the charge runs through my body, it hurts... and it isn't fair, the way he ignores that.” She swallowed, looking away. “He knows I'm not like other navis. He knows I can't just shut those things off, or... or just keep going when I'm hurt. Eric never wanted me to get into fights, or be put in danger, but I still have to try, because it's what Rogan needs...” She shook her head and splashed at the water again. “But I guess complaining about it being unfair doesn't change anything, in the end. If I was connected right now I could show you what I mean, I guess, but Rogan always has me masked whenever I'm jacked in properly anyway.” She stood and wandered back to look at Aya and Suzume as she finished the last of her drink and set it down. It probably wasn't strong, but she'd not really been able to taste whatever alcohol had gone into it, and she had no way of knowing if it was even of the right kind to actually have an effect on her... but if it was going to give her any courage, now was its chance. She looked between them, hands moving to her hips.
“Okay... Let's see if I can do this without fainting from embarrassment or dying of fear...” Once again, her internal war of nerves and terror fought against her determination to do what she set out to. She could pull this off, and be fine. No big deal. Right? It was just a costume; like putting something on for a stage play. A stage play where she was accidentally still showing the edges of her nipples and all of her pubic hair. She swallowed, fidgeting and pacing back and forth in a small circle as she focused on not panicking. Just do it. Just get it over with, and come out the other side, and it won't be so bad. She took another breath.
“Alright, okay... tell Drago he can come back, and let's see what he thinks of this. I'm ready.” A moment later she paused, halfway through her nervous pacing and looked back at them again. “He, um... he's not going to get any ideas, right? Sorry, It's just, things other people said, and I know it's probably not true, and he seems like a gentleman underneath the gruffness, I know, but...” She let the hurried questioning trail away as she looked down at her 'uniform' again. It really was barely there. Rogan was going to have a fit. Either way, done was done, and she braced herself for the other navi's return, fighting the urge to hide behind Aya and Suzume each second.
“Maybe... I don't really know. I never really understood all about how most of that works. I just see all of you, and I see my friends, and... I mean... People are just people, right?” Her shoulders shrugged and she rolled her neck. “Mostly, Rogan complains about pointless complexity, and that he shouldn't have to have a medical degree to understand my readings. But... I don't know...” Unconsciously, one of her hands rose to her chest as two fingers began to rub a gentle circle around her emblem. “It was... like I was shouting about before... I don't think I have a 'core' like that... or anything like those sorts of neat systems... I just... I just bleed... my muscles pull and my bones break, and when the charge runs through my body, it hurts... and it isn't fair, the way he ignores that.” She swallowed, looking away. “He knows I'm not like other navis. He knows I can't just shut those things off, or... or just keep going when I'm hurt. Eric never wanted me to get into fights, or be put in danger, but I still have to try, because it's what Rogan needs...” She shook her head and splashed at the water again. “But I guess complaining about it being unfair doesn't change anything, in the end. If I was connected right now I could show you what I mean, I guess, but Rogan always has me masked whenever I'm jacked in properly anyway.” She stood and wandered back to look at Aya and Suzume as she finished the last of her drink and set it down. It probably wasn't strong, but she'd not really been able to taste whatever alcohol had gone into it, and she had no way of knowing if it was even of the right kind to actually have an effect on her... but if it was going to give her any courage, now was its chance. She looked between them, hands moving to her hips.
“Okay... Let's see if I can do this without fainting from embarrassment or dying of fear...” Once again, her internal war of nerves and terror fought against her determination to do what she set out to. She could pull this off, and be fine. No big deal. Right? It was just a costume; like putting something on for a stage play. A stage play where she was accidentally still showing the edges of her nipples and all of her pubic hair. She swallowed, fidgeting and pacing back and forth in a small circle as she focused on not panicking. Just do it. Just get it over with, and come out the other side, and it won't be so bad. She took another breath.
“Alright, okay... tell Drago he can come back, and let's see what he thinks of this. I'm ready.” A moment later she paused, halfway through her nervous pacing and looked back at them again. “He, um... he's not going to get any ideas, right? Sorry, It's just, things other people said, and I know it's probably not true, and he seems like a gentleman underneath the gruffness, I know, but...” She let the hurried questioning trail away as she looked down at her 'uniform' again. It really was barely there. Rogan was going to have a fit. Either way, done was done, and she braced herself for the other navi's return, fighting the urge to hide behind Aya and Suzume each second.
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Aya huffed at what she thought was Lyntael moping. "Like we've said before, we've seen our fair share of individuals who are more human than most," Aya stated. "Individuals who have heartbeats, who tire from exertion and need sleep, who get aches and pains." She then stood up and suddenly pulled another dagger from her belt. She then turned her left palm up and cut it with her dagger, grimacing a little from the sting of pain. Silver blood leaked from the wound as she reached toward Lyn to show her that she bled. "... And they bleed," she said before stabbing the dagger into the wood of the bar. She brought out a cloth strip from her extra-dimensional belt and began bandaging her left hand. "So don't think you are anything special because you have a few more delicacies."
Suzume ran her fingertip around the lip of her glass as she watched the other two. "Look, we understand that you are having problems. We've seen them in action... But - and we are just talking here - have you ever thought of enhancing yourself with buffers, either internally or through equippable items?" she asked Lyn. "If you come back to our base we could get a deep scan of you using our equipment and then offer suggestions. Just off the top of my head, having some sort of grounding device could help with your static charge. Maybe you could carry a lightning rod attached to a pole. Or maybe you could lace diodes to your skin and muscles to channel the electrical energy away from your core and out through your extremities."
As their conversation wrapped up, and Lyntael psyched herself back up, she asked to get DragonierMan involved again in her little experiment. Suzume quirked her eyebrow at the request. "Well okay, if you say so," she said before putting a hand to her ear to call Drago through the link. After a moment she nodded her head, "Okay, see you soon." Suzume then looked back at Lyn, "He's on his way back now. And don't worry, he won't do anything unless you throw yourself at him like the others. But just in case, we'll be here to keep him in check," she explained as she pointed between Aya and herself.
A few minutes later DragonierMan was back. As he got close enough to see Lyntael in her new outfit, his eyes widened a bit in surprise. The smaller girl was pretty much baring herself fully to his gaze. "Uh..." Drago gawked unknowingly, not sure what to say at this wanton act. "You look... well... good," he muttered out loud enough to hear from across the deck. "Is this your... uh... you new uniform?" he asked a bit too gruffly, dabbing a bit of drool from his mouth. The twins stood in silence as they watched the interaction between the two.
Suzume ran her fingertip around the lip of her glass as she watched the other two. "Look, we understand that you are having problems. We've seen them in action... But - and we are just talking here - have you ever thought of enhancing yourself with buffers, either internally or through equippable items?" she asked Lyn. "If you come back to our base we could get a deep scan of you using our equipment and then offer suggestions. Just off the top of my head, having some sort of grounding device could help with your static charge. Maybe you could carry a lightning rod attached to a pole. Or maybe you could lace diodes to your skin and muscles to channel the electrical energy away from your core and out through your extremities."
As their conversation wrapped up, and Lyntael psyched herself back up, she asked to get DragonierMan involved again in her little experiment. Suzume quirked her eyebrow at the request. "Well okay, if you say so," she said before putting a hand to her ear to call Drago through the link. After a moment she nodded her head, "Okay, see you soon." Suzume then looked back at Lyn, "He's on his way back now. And don't worry, he won't do anything unless you throw yourself at him like the others. But just in case, we'll be here to keep him in check," she explained as she pointed between Aya and herself.
A few minutes later DragonierMan was back. As he got close enough to see Lyntael in her new outfit, his eyes widened a bit in surprise. The smaller girl was pretty much baring herself fully to his gaze. "Uh..." Drago gawked unknowingly, not sure what to say at this wanton act. "You look... well... good," he muttered out loud enough to hear from across the deck. "Is this your... uh... you new uniform?" he asked a bit too gruffly, dabbing a bit of drool from his mouth. The twins stood in silence as they watched the interaction between the two.
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There was a sudden reaction of mild panic, Lyntael leaning forward with hands half raised as Aya scolded her and moved to prove her point in dramatic fashion. Lyntael's objection was cut short by a wince when the sudden motion was too quick to be stopped.
“I... I didn't, you don't need to...” She relented and sat back, head down as the other woman devalued her existence in a way that was completely new and different compared to Rogan's simple denials. “...I know, I know... I'm just... sometimes I feel like I'm just faulty goods, more than anything, really. I'm trying to be better, but I just don't understand how other navigators can be so... so... okay with all of this. The violence, the fear, the pain... I don't get it. I don't know how to just... be okay about it. I don't know how to do that. It's not okay... it's horrible.” She sighed, shaking her head and rubbing at her own arms for a moment before shaking the mood off as best she could, and focusing on Suzume instead – if Aya wanted to come back to the point or talk about it more, she'd probably need to pick it up again a little later on.
“I think there might be something that could help, I've just not really had a chance to find anything. I don't get a lot of free time, not usually, and Rogan is always too busy to spend any extra time on trying to fix things that I shouldn't be having trouble with anyway... Maybe we could look into it later, I guess? If I can get away long enough? We can talk about it later, I'm putting this off too long already...”
By the time their other minor conversations were put on hold, for now, Lyntael was faced with waiting for DragonierMan to return, focusing herself back in the moment and trying to stay calm. His gaze on her, as it slid across every part of her outfit, and lack of outfit, was enough o make her tremble, but she focused on a clearer thought as she endured his first glances. She had, of course, been in worse and more exposed conditions before, and those unwillingly, and in the face of men with darker intentions. This was surely nothing compared to that. Holding the thought, as much as her mind wanted to skip away from the memories it was attached to was enough to keep her from losing her nerve entirely. She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head, doing her best to affect a casual stance, even though it was clear she was practically shaking from nerves.
“Yeah. It's my uniform. The general says I should wear it all the time. What about it?” She imagined what Rogan's first incredulous look might be like, and how she might challenge his reaction. Her words made a solid attempt at cavalier and challenging, though there was no disguising it as an act. She supposed it wasn't really fair to try that first line on Drago directly, but she has to practice somehow. She made herself hold her pose, hands on hips and alsight forward lean that would emphasise curves, if only she actually had any to speak of, for a few more seconds, then relaxed and shook her shoulders.
“Sorry... It's for Rogan... I'm trying to get a reaction out of him. Just something... but really, um, I don't think I could actually wear this, um, comfortably, around a public camp, or- or anything like that... I wanted it to be... ah... scandalous and indecent... but believable too, something Yasu might actually have given me to wear.” She drew a breath, then carefully turned about in a slow, graceful circle, moving lightly on the balls of her feet. She turned slowly once, then quickly a second time, setting the lightning bolt streamers that made up the micro skirt to fly and flutter. It gave Drago a proper view of the full outfit before she settled back to face him again, blushing brightly and quivering, but seemingly getting used to the situation gradually. “Think it'll pass? I'm not going to get kicked out for wearing it or anything like that?” She cast a side glance to Aya and Suzume. She wasn't going to mention their suggestion of getting everyone in the NS to adopt it. That would be a bit too extreme, she thought, and she didn't exactly want to put the idea in his head.
“I... I didn't, you don't need to...” She relented and sat back, head down as the other woman devalued her existence in a way that was completely new and different compared to Rogan's simple denials. “...I know, I know... I'm just... sometimes I feel like I'm just faulty goods, more than anything, really. I'm trying to be better, but I just don't understand how other navigators can be so... so... okay with all of this. The violence, the fear, the pain... I don't get it. I don't know how to just... be okay about it. I don't know how to do that. It's not okay... it's horrible.” She sighed, shaking her head and rubbing at her own arms for a moment before shaking the mood off as best she could, and focusing on Suzume instead – if Aya wanted to come back to the point or talk about it more, she'd probably need to pick it up again a little later on.
“I think there might be something that could help, I've just not really had a chance to find anything. I don't get a lot of free time, not usually, and Rogan is always too busy to spend any extra time on trying to fix things that I shouldn't be having trouble with anyway... Maybe we could look into it later, I guess? If I can get away long enough? We can talk about it later, I'm putting this off too long already...”
By the time their other minor conversations were put on hold, for now, Lyntael was faced with waiting for DragonierMan to return, focusing herself back in the moment and trying to stay calm. His gaze on her, as it slid across every part of her outfit, and lack of outfit, was enough o make her tremble, but she focused on a clearer thought as she endured his first glances. She had, of course, been in worse and more exposed conditions before, and those unwillingly, and in the face of men with darker intentions. This was surely nothing compared to that. Holding the thought, as much as her mind wanted to skip away from the memories it was attached to was enough to keep her from losing her nerve entirely. She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head, doing her best to affect a casual stance, even though it was clear she was practically shaking from nerves.
“Yeah. It's my uniform. The general says I should wear it all the time. What about it?” She imagined what Rogan's first incredulous look might be like, and how she might challenge his reaction. Her words made a solid attempt at cavalier and challenging, though there was no disguising it as an act. She supposed it wasn't really fair to try that first line on Drago directly, but she has to practice somehow. She made herself hold her pose, hands on hips and alsight forward lean that would emphasise curves, if only she actually had any to speak of, for a few more seconds, then relaxed and shook her shoulders.
“Sorry... It's for Rogan... I'm trying to get a reaction out of him. Just something... but really, um, I don't think I could actually wear this, um, comfortably, around a public camp, or- or anything like that... I wanted it to be... ah... scandalous and indecent... but believable too, something Yasu might actually have given me to wear.” She drew a breath, then carefully turned about in a slow, graceful circle, moving lightly on the balls of her feet. She turned slowly once, then quickly a second time, setting the lightning bolt streamers that made up the micro skirt to fly and flutter. It gave Drago a proper view of the full outfit before she settled back to face him again, blushing brightly and quivering, but seemingly getting used to the situation gradually. “Think it'll pass? I'm not going to get kicked out for wearing it or anything like that?” She cast a side glance to Aya and Suzume. She wasn't going to mention their suggestion of getting everyone in the NS to adopt it. That would be a bit too extreme, she thought, and she didn't exactly want to put the idea in his head.
last edited by Azureink
As Lyntael bemoaned her circumstances, Aya took a step back. Her eyes furrowed in thoughtful concern, as it was clear that she just seemed to make it worse with every comment. "Well... Um... It probably helps that most Navis don't have... Well... The same morals... I guess... Or something," she stammered, trying to find a coherent explanation off the cuff of her mesh sleeve. One of her hands rotated around haphazardly, as if trying to grasp words that weren't coming to her. Her eyes similarly rotated in her head from the upper right to the lower left, as she was trying to think of what words to say. "Not everyone is created with your... Well... Unique construction."
"It probably helps that we were given personalities and thought-patterns that didn't see violence and the fear of death as something to be as concerned about," Suzume added, probably unhelpfully. "Unfortunately, that means that even though we were given the ability to understand those concepts, at least in academic terms, we won't be able to truly sympathize with what you are going through... Hopefully, you will be able to find someone who can. Maybe you could even find some help in the Neo-Shoguns now that you are a member?" she suggested. "Though, I am sorry if that is not what you wanted to hear at the moment," Suzume said in an apologetic tone.
It was clear that the twins wished to help the ailing Lyntael with her emotional problems, but their somewhat brainwashed/pre-programmed psyche stunted their ability to do so. It was probably a little disconcerting for someone that had access to the full range of human emotions, to talk to people that were... 'lesser' than that. Some might even pity them.
But that would have to be put on the back-burner for now, as well as potential future hangouts, and further assistance with Lyn's other concerns as DragonierMan returned to see the new uniform. His semi-bare, muscular chest contracted a little faster as his breath quickened at the sight of Lyn's own lithe curves. But as she put on a show of courage in front of him, he retracted a little from his predatory stare. Clearly he was snapped back a little from his own animal lusts by the challenging tone she put on. "Oh... Sorry," he said a little sheepishly. His own looming form shrinking back a bit. "If you think that it isn't a little too much... Then good."
He took a deep breath to steady himself. "I... I think you'll get a reaction out of everyone with that," Drago continued, a little more back to his previously reserved self. "But it seems that, that is what you are looking for. Is this your way to get noticed? Instead of screaming it out like I do, you have your outfit do it for you?" he asked, before waving it off. "Well anyways, I have a feeling that it'll cause quite a stir. You'll probably get a ton of fans as well. But I highly doubt you'll be kicked out because of it. They let a lot of stuff slide in this organization," he affirmed. "Worse comes to worse, they'll ask you to add a little more cloth over your bits," he stated with another eyeing look over Lyn's semi-exposed body.
"So what's next on the agenda?" Drago asked, after he finally pulled his eyes off Lyn's body. "Were you able to get all your questions answered? Anything further you want to ask us?"
"It probably helps that we were given personalities and thought-patterns that didn't see violence and the fear of death as something to be as concerned about," Suzume added, probably unhelpfully. "Unfortunately, that means that even though we were given the ability to understand those concepts, at least in academic terms, we won't be able to truly sympathize with what you are going through... Hopefully, you will be able to find someone who can. Maybe you could even find some help in the Neo-Shoguns now that you are a member?" she suggested. "Though, I am sorry if that is not what you wanted to hear at the moment," Suzume said in an apologetic tone.
It was clear that the twins wished to help the ailing Lyntael with her emotional problems, but their somewhat brainwashed/pre-programmed psyche stunted their ability to do so. It was probably a little disconcerting for someone that had access to the full range of human emotions, to talk to people that were... 'lesser' than that. Some might even pity them.
But that would have to be put on the back-burner for now, as well as potential future hangouts, and further assistance with Lyn's other concerns as DragonierMan returned to see the new uniform. His semi-bare, muscular chest contracted a little faster as his breath quickened at the sight of Lyn's own lithe curves. But as she put on a show of courage in front of him, he retracted a little from his predatory stare. Clearly he was snapped back a little from his own animal lusts by the challenging tone she put on. "Oh... Sorry," he said a little sheepishly. His own looming form shrinking back a bit. "If you think that it isn't a little too much... Then good."
He took a deep breath to steady himself. "I... I think you'll get a reaction out of everyone with that," Drago continued, a little more back to his previously reserved self. "But it seems that, that is what you are looking for. Is this your way to get noticed? Instead of screaming it out like I do, you have your outfit do it for you?" he asked, before waving it off. "Well anyways, I have a feeling that it'll cause quite a stir. You'll probably get a ton of fans as well. But I highly doubt you'll be kicked out because of it. They let a lot of stuff slide in this organization," he affirmed. "Worse comes to worse, they'll ask you to add a little more cloth over your bits," he stated with another eyeing look over Lyn's semi-exposed body.
"So what's next on the agenda?" Drago asked, after he finally pulled his eyes off Lyn's body. "Were you able to get all your questions answered? Anything further you want to ask us?"
last edited by Rogan
Seeing Drago back down a touch from her brief display heartened Lyntael a little, and as she relaxed it was with a small grin. He had to know she was terrified and near panicking with what she was showing off in front of him, but it made her feel better that he played along. A little longer and she might even be able to forget what she was barely wearing, for a moment or two at least. She wandered the deck a little more, enjoying the breeze and letting it catch the loose bits of her outfit – she didn't have to worry about keeping the skirt down, at least, since it was failing utterly to cover anything anyway. Positive thoughts. After a moment she ended up back at one of the railing at the side and leaned over it to look down at the water again.
“It might be a good idea to add a shawl or something, I suppose...” She murmured down at the water, though she was talking loudly enough for the others to hear still. “It seems like it would be a shame to redesign the whole thing over once I've shown Rogan anyway, but I definitely want it to be a little bit more, ah, decent, before I ever think about wearing it as a, ah, you know, standard uniform...” She turned back, her focus mostly on Aya and Suzume still – that was easier, even if she was working on being more comfortable in Drago's presence. Her hands moved up to run fingertips down across the two diagonal bolts that struggled to keep her chest decent. “I guess, if I widen these ones a bit... honestly, hehe... I didn't realise they'd be this thin in the design. I thought they'd actually, um, be decent enough, but, definitely bring these out a bit more.... and maybe a hip wrap, something thin and gauzy, but enough to be a little bit or discrete maybe?” After another moment or two she shrugged and wandered back again, retaking her seat by the pool and splashing her toes in the water.
“I have a little while still, before I should get back... I kind of wanted to just enjoy the cruise ship, but it's hard to really do that when there's no staff or service, really... Hey... Drago...” Here she paused, turning aside slightly so she could rest one leg up on the edge of the pool and let the other dangle in the water. Without her own realising, it did unfortunate things for the lower sections of her outfit that struggled to adjust to the unusual position of her legs. Unaware, Lyntael bit her lip, looking thoughtful.
“You said before... you were a different person once, but you got... ah... corrupted? Sorry, I don't know what the right way talk about it is... um... but you said your operator helped keep you alive... So... that means you're not like other navigators now, right? I know almost all navigators these days, even custom ones, are still created using industry standards as a base line, and apparently no-one even really knows how the black box of the Hikari AI actually works, other than how to tweak its settings and outputs... But does that mean you're different now as well? Does it ever cause problems, like, when you need to be scanned, or assessed, or if you have to...” she snapped her fingers briefly, uncertain of how to phrase it without sounding rude. “Ah, well, if you get damaged and need to go to, like, SciLab or something, you know?” Her head tilted, watching him. “If you're not really a recognisable navigator construction any more, does it cause problems?” She glanced down at the pool, again, splashing her foot as she tried to explain the question.
“It's just... Well, Eric brought me into the world from scratch. As I understand it, I never had a Hikari AI to begin with, and once, when I got scanned by an administrative system, when I wasn't properly masked, it picked me up as an unrecognised entity and tried to quarantine me... So, I'm pretty nervous about it these days... But if you've got experience with that, I thought, maybe you had some advice?” She rubbed at her neck, faint trails of embarrassment threading through her question, that were for once not related to her appearance.
“It might be a good idea to add a shawl or something, I suppose...” She murmured down at the water, though she was talking loudly enough for the others to hear still. “It seems like it would be a shame to redesign the whole thing over once I've shown Rogan anyway, but I definitely want it to be a little bit more, ah, decent, before I ever think about wearing it as a, ah, you know, standard uniform...” She turned back, her focus mostly on Aya and Suzume still – that was easier, even if she was working on being more comfortable in Drago's presence. Her hands moved up to run fingertips down across the two diagonal bolts that struggled to keep her chest decent. “I guess, if I widen these ones a bit... honestly, hehe... I didn't realise they'd be this thin in the design. I thought they'd actually, um, be decent enough, but, definitely bring these out a bit more.... and maybe a hip wrap, something thin and gauzy, but enough to be a little bit or discrete maybe?” After another moment or two she shrugged and wandered back again, retaking her seat by the pool and splashing her toes in the water.
“I have a little while still, before I should get back... I kind of wanted to just enjoy the cruise ship, but it's hard to really do that when there's no staff or service, really... Hey... Drago...” Here she paused, turning aside slightly so she could rest one leg up on the edge of the pool and let the other dangle in the water. Without her own realising, it did unfortunate things for the lower sections of her outfit that struggled to adjust to the unusual position of her legs. Unaware, Lyntael bit her lip, looking thoughtful.
“You said before... you were a different person once, but you got... ah... corrupted? Sorry, I don't know what the right way talk about it is... um... but you said your operator helped keep you alive... So... that means you're not like other navigators now, right? I know almost all navigators these days, even custom ones, are still created using industry standards as a base line, and apparently no-one even really knows how the black box of the Hikari AI actually works, other than how to tweak its settings and outputs... But does that mean you're different now as well? Does it ever cause problems, like, when you need to be scanned, or assessed, or if you have to...” she snapped her fingers briefly, uncertain of how to phrase it without sounding rude. “Ah, well, if you get damaged and need to go to, like, SciLab or something, you know?” Her head tilted, watching him. “If you're not really a recognisable navigator construction any more, does it cause problems?” She glanced down at the pool, again, splashing her foot as she tried to explain the question.
“It's just... Well, Eric brought me into the world from scratch. As I understand it, I never had a Hikari AI to begin with, and once, when I got scanned by an administrative system, when I wasn't properly masked, it picked me up as an unrecognised entity and tried to quarantine me... So, I'm pretty nervous about it these days... But if you've got experience with that, I thought, maybe you had some advice?” She rubbed at her neck, faint trails of embarrassment threading through her question, that were for once not related to her appearance.
last edited by Azureink
DragonierMan thought for a moment in silence before talking. "I started as an industry standard, base-line Navi, no different from thousands of others," he recounted. "I was then given a shining suit of armor and the personality to match," he boasted. "Then I was sent into the same war that most Navis participate in: busting viruses." He paused for a moment, his eyes drifting to Lyntael's legs, his favorite part of the female form.
"After many battles, and taking a bunch of licks, my program corrupted enough to put my life in danger. My Lord patched me up using some technique he found on the NET Message Boards. I don't really understand what he did, something about infusing or suturing or something..." he shrugged. "And I don't really care. Whatever he did, it worked out, and I'm alive today because of it."
He flexed an arm, the nails on his fingers extended like sharp bird talons, pushed out by the muscle contractions. His canines also extended a little from his mouth, and his voice got more growly. "I'm stronger than I ever was before! Or at least I feel like I am. The side-effect, as I understand it, is an almost feral stimulus response. The only thing keeping the baser, more animalistic instincts at bay, is the stronger honor code and knightly virtues of my original programming." His eyes again leered hungrily at Lyn's beautiful female form.
As Drago finished his thought he apparently noticed his physical and psychological changes. He quickly straightened his arm and retracted his draconic talons and fangs. "Uh... Sorry about that, he apologized before he finished closing his mouth. When he re-opened his mouth, it was back to its normal, more human state. "Anyways, I don't know about this 'Hikari AI' thing you mentioned, but I haven't had any scanner say I'm not a Navi. I assume whatever happened to save me was a... how did you say it?... 'tweak' of my 'settings and outputs'. I still get upgraded and repaired as normal whenever I'm brought to SciLab," Drago answered unhelpfully.
Suzume and Aya perked up when Lyntael recounted being quarantined by an administrative system. "Have you ever had any more problems with SciLabs because you don't have this 'Hikari AI'? Have you never repaired or upgraded because of this scanning problem?" Drago asked. The trio was very interested to know if she was having the same problems she was questioning Drago over. "If having a 'Hikari AI' is standard to exist as a Navi, how do you manage to exist without it?"
"After many battles, and taking a bunch of licks, my program corrupted enough to put my life in danger. My Lord patched me up using some technique he found on the NET Message Boards. I don't really understand what he did, something about infusing or suturing or something..." he shrugged. "And I don't really care. Whatever he did, it worked out, and I'm alive today because of it."
He flexed an arm, the nails on his fingers extended like sharp bird talons, pushed out by the muscle contractions. His canines also extended a little from his mouth, and his voice got more growly. "I'm stronger than I ever was before! Or at least I feel like I am. The side-effect, as I understand it, is an almost feral stimulus response. The only thing keeping the baser, more animalistic instincts at bay, is the stronger honor code and knightly virtues of my original programming." His eyes again leered hungrily at Lyn's beautiful female form.
As Drago finished his thought he apparently noticed his physical and psychological changes. He quickly straightened his arm and retracted his draconic talons and fangs. "Uh... Sorry about that, he apologized before he finished closing his mouth. When he re-opened his mouth, it was back to its normal, more human state. "Anyways, I don't know about this 'Hikari AI' thing you mentioned, but I haven't had any scanner say I'm not a Navi. I assume whatever happened to save me was a... how did you say it?... 'tweak' of my 'settings and outputs'. I still get upgraded and repaired as normal whenever I'm brought to SciLab," Drago answered unhelpfully.
Suzume and Aya perked up when Lyntael recounted being quarantined by an administrative system. "Have you ever had any more problems with SciLabs because you don't have this 'Hikari AI'? Have you never repaired or upgraded because of this scanning problem?" Drago asked. The trio was very interested to know if she was having the same problems she was questioning Drago over. "If having a 'Hikari AI' is standard to exist as a Navi, how do you manage to exist without it?"
last edited by Rogan
The young girl remained thoughtful, swishing one foot in the water as she listened; at first she didn't notice his wandering gaze while she watched the ripples of the pool water. A swim would actually be really nice right about now. That was one way she could enjoy this cruise easily without causing a stir... In away it was comforting to hear him talking about the new strength he'd found after his operator fixed him up, but it was still strange, in her mind, to think about being 'repaired' or 'rewritten'. She caught herself wondering if who he was had changed after the data merging, and if it had affected the navi's sense of self; her thought was mirrored as he spoke about the instincts and urges that now came with the change, and she glanced up, only to look directly into Drago's clearly more animal moment, and she felt his eyes devouring the excess of intimate skin she was showing.
Before she could really think about it, Lyntael felt herself draw back quite suddenly, pushing away and moving to cover herself with her free hand as her breath caught and she fumbled for the lip of the pool, about to stand. It all happened in the same short moment it took the dragonier to catch himself and her brief flinch of panic slowed to stillness again as he recovered himself. She just nodded, accepting his apology and a quick glance towards Aya and Suzume. They'd said they were here to rein him in, and he'd made assurances of his own as well, but the moment had still set her heart racing with sudden apprehension. The embarrassed flush returned to her skin as the rest of her mind caught up with how he'd been looking at her. She'd definitely need to tone this down in some way if she was going to wear it in public. She wasn't going to wear this in public, of course she wasn't, that would be ridiculous. Her nerves calmed a little more as the rest of his answer put a curb on her hopefulness. Even heavily patched and merged, he'd had no problems. Although, she'd only had issues when there wasn't a PET connection. He might well be in the same situation as her if he were ever disconnected. She nodded to him again, still cautious.
“O-oh... Okay... Well, I'm not really clear on it either. It's all complicated stuff, but...” She rubbed at her neck trying to put together the way Eric had explained some of it to her in the early days, combined with what she'd learned from talking to Eternalis and Aurora.
“From what I know... A long time ago, the idea of real, living sentience in something man-made was unheard of. It was a pipe dream, and science-fiction. Then there was a break-through that redefined how the world thought about what it meant to be alive...” She paused and her eyes drifted back down to the water again. “Or, most of the world...” She shrugged it off and pushed the sad thoughts away. “But what started out a one-off thing and developed from there, well, no-one really understood, or could even come close to replicating it. Lots of people have tried over the years since, and there have been a lot of attempts at making truly living, authentic beings in code... but they've all failed. A least, that's what Harke says... Um, that's Eternalis' operator, he's, um... well... He's a very important scientist, I think... Have you ever heard of the Ezarith family? I think they're deeply involved in navi tech in some way.” She bit her lip. “Ah, I probably shouldn't be saying that. It's to do with Rogan's work... But, that's why he didn't believe Rogan at first, before he looked at me.”
She was on uncertain ground herself at this point, though at least she understood how bold a statement it was now, and how unusual a concept. Rogan's own obliviousness to the magnitude of what he'd been saying had probably worked in his favour for Harke and Karen believing him in the end. She lay back on the deck now, arms stretched out and eyes closed while she splashed the water lightly with her feet.
“So, nearly every navigator that's expected to interact with humans is built around the Hikari module, apparently. It's like... it's like the part of our brains that makes us who we are, you know? And they say that only a handful of the best and brightest of SciLab really understand it at all...” As she focused on taking longer breaths her body visibly relaxed and softened further, lying out on the deck while her feet stilled in the water. When she continued, her voice was softer.
“But... My first memories are of Eric's voice. My home... his home, really... That's where I began, from scratch, from him... They say all of the other attempts always fail. Even the mavericks, they fall apart or collapse, or they never really achieve that same life and heart and soul... they all fail, sooner or later... And sometimes I really do feel like I can't do the things that any normal navigator is supposed to do... and ever since I learned all of that, I've been just that little bit afraid, deep in the back of my mind.” Her voice broke and wavered and she took another long breath, in and out, calming herself. Stretched out as she was, Drago and the others could likely still see the lingering signs of her under-eating and slight malnutrition, but these days it was only a very mild hint of it that remained.
“The system that picked me up... thought I was a broken program, of an unrecognised origin. If Eternalis and Aurora hadn't been there to speak for me, it could have gone badly... When the overseer of the vault actually did a full deep scan of me, he decided that I was fine, and that there was nothing wrong with me at all, but they had to write an exception into their vault to whitelist me, so that it wouldn't happen again.” With a sharper sigh, Lyntael opened her eyes and sat up again, then stood, rising up on one toe with her other foot lifted to the side a little and turning in place in a gentle pirouette as she stretched herself out. She settled back again, looking at her friends with a thoughtful expression.
“I don't really know, to be honest. I'm just doing my best. You asked about... upgrades. That's a tricky question...” She began to wander around the edge of the pool in slow steps, thinking as much to herself as she picked her words. Her eyes closed again as her hands rose to the middle of her chest.
“I've been... getting stronger. Bit by bit, I have been. I've gotten better at dealing with the charge when it gets bad, and the amount it generates before I reach my limit has been getting stronger too. Sometimes, though... I feel like... I guess... There's something there, holding me back at times. Like a limit or a wall... Like a cup that's overflowing, I suppose. And then, whenever I've managed to save up enough money for it, Rogan gets things from SciLab, and he spends some time integrating them, and the limit goes away for a bit... But it's as much practice as well, I think. If I concentrate, now, I can do some of the things that I used to have no control over...” To demonstrate, she paused where she was, focused for a moment, then reached out a hand, palm outward. As they'd seen previously, the reverb of static energy expanded from her chest, forming a shell that stabilised itself into a fiercely strong barrier as it passed the glowing points on her wrists and ankles, before fading from sight. She drew her hand in and repeated the gesture, causing a fresh second shell, almost as strong as the first to expand out and replace the old. The warm glow remained at her strikers, crackling faintly while a flurry of wind currents circled about her and made the trailing loose bits of her outfit flutter madly. She glanced up at her companions, blushing faintly and ducking her head.
“There's other stuff too, but I'm still learning to control a lot of it, and I really don't want to hurt anyone by accident. I... I had a panic attack when that vault system tried to capture me, and I nearly killed Eternalis without realising it... It... it scares me, but I'm starting to realise that having control, even if using it hurts, is better than trying to suppress it entirely. I've tried that. It doesn't work...” At this point she turned to face them properly, head tilting.
“Hey... You guys mentioned that there's a 'camp' in your organisation, somewhere. Do you practice and train yourselves, away from actual viruses or danger? What do you do to train?” The glows remained in her wrist and ankle strikers for now, the charge only very slowly decaying and she could feel the tingle of them responding to the constant background hum of her internal charge.
Before she could really think about it, Lyntael felt herself draw back quite suddenly, pushing away and moving to cover herself with her free hand as her breath caught and she fumbled for the lip of the pool, about to stand. It all happened in the same short moment it took the dragonier to catch himself and her brief flinch of panic slowed to stillness again as he recovered himself. She just nodded, accepting his apology and a quick glance towards Aya and Suzume. They'd said they were here to rein him in, and he'd made assurances of his own as well, but the moment had still set her heart racing with sudden apprehension. The embarrassed flush returned to her skin as the rest of her mind caught up with how he'd been looking at her. She'd definitely need to tone this down in some way if she was going to wear it in public. She wasn't going to wear this in public, of course she wasn't, that would be ridiculous. Her nerves calmed a little more as the rest of his answer put a curb on her hopefulness. Even heavily patched and merged, he'd had no problems. Although, she'd only had issues when there wasn't a PET connection. He might well be in the same situation as her if he were ever disconnected. She nodded to him again, still cautious.
“O-oh... Okay... Well, I'm not really clear on it either. It's all complicated stuff, but...” She rubbed at her neck trying to put together the way Eric had explained some of it to her in the early days, combined with what she'd learned from talking to Eternalis and Aurora.
“From what I know... A long time ago, the idea of real, living sentience in something man-made was unheard of. It was a pipe dream, and science-fiction. Then there was a break-through that redefined how the world thought about what it meant to be alive...” She paused and her eyes drifted back down to the water again. “Or, most of the world...” She shrugged it off and pushed the sad thoughts away. “But what started out a one-off thing and developed from there, well, no-one really understood, or could even come close to replicating it. Lots of people have tried over the years since, and there have been a lot of attempts at making truly living, authentic beings in code... but they've all failed. A least, that's what Harke says... Um, that's Eternalis' operator, he's, um... well... He's a very important scientist, I think... Have you ever heard of the Ezarith family? I think they're deeply involved in navi tech in some way.” She bit her lip. “Ah, I probably shouldn't be saying that. It's to do with Rogan's work... But, that's why he didn't believe Rogan at first, before he looked at me.”
She was on uncertain ground herself at this point, though at least she understood how bold a statement it was now, and how unusual a concept. Rogan's own obliviousness to the magnitude of what he'd been saying had probably worked in his favour for Harke and Karen believing him in the end. She lay back on the deck now, arms stretched out and eyes closed while she splashed the water lightly with her feet.
“So, nearly every navigator that's expected to interact with humans is built around the Hikari module, apparently. It's like... it's like the part of our brains that makes us who we are, you know? And they say that only a handful of the best and brightest of SciLab really understand it at all...” As she focused on taking longer breaths her body visibly relaxed and softened further, lying out on the deck while her feet stilled in the water. When she continued, her voice was softer.
“But... My first memories are of Eric's voice. My home... his home, really... That's where I began, from scratch, from him... They say all of the other attempts always fail. Even the mavericks, they fall apart or collapse, or they never really achieve that same life and heart and soul... they all fail, sooner or later... And sometimes I really do feel like I can't do the things that any normal navigator is supposed to do... and ever since I learned all of that, I've been just that little bit afraid, deep in the back of my mind.” Her voice broke and wavered and she took another long breath, in and out, calming herself. Stretched out as she was, Drago and the others could likely still see the lingering signs of her under-eating and slight malnutrition, but these days it was only a very mild hint of it that remained.
“The system that picked me up... thought I was a broken program, of an unrecognised origin. If Eternalis and Aurora hadn't been there to speak for me, it could have gone badly... When the overseer of the vault actually did a full deep scan of me, he decided that I was fine, and that there was nothing wrong with me at all, but they had to write an exception into their vault to whitelist me, so that it wouldn't happen again.” With a sharper sigh, Lyntael opened her eyes and sat up again, then stood, rising up on one toe with her other foot lifted to the side a little and turning in place in a gentle pirouette as she stretched herself out. She settled back again, looking at her friends with a thoughtful expression.
“I don't really know, to be honest. I'm just doing my best. You asked about... upgrades. That's a tricky question...” She began to wander around the edge of the pool in slow steps, thinking as much to herself as she picked her words. Her eyes closed again as her hands rose to the middle of her chest.
“I've been... getting stronger. Bit by bit, I have been. I've gotten better at dealing with the charge when it gets bad, and the amount it generates before I reach my limit has been getting stronger too. Sometimes, though... I feel like... I guess... There's something there, holding me back at times. Like a limit or a wall... Like a cup that's overflowing, I suppose. And then, whenever I've managed to save up enough money for it, Rogan gets things from SciLab, and he spends some time integrating them, and the limit goes away for a bit... But it's as much practice as well, I think. If I concentrate, now, I can do some of the things that I used to have no control over...” To demonstrate, she paused where she was, focused for a moment, then reached out a hand, palm outward. As they'd seen previously, the reverb of static energy expanded from her chest, forming a shell that stabilised itself into a fiercely strong barrier as it passed the glowing points on her wrists and ankles, before fading from sight. She drew her hand in and repeated the gesture, causing a fresh second shell, almost as strong as the first to expand out and replace the old. The warm glow remained at her strikers, crackling faintly while a flurry of wind currents circled about her and made the trailing loose bits of her outfit flutter madly. She glanced up at her companions, blushing faintly and ducking her head.
“There's other stuff too, but I'm still learning to control a lot of it, and I really don't want to hurt anyone by accident. I... I had a panic attack when that vault system tried to capture me, and I nearly killed Eternalis without realising it... It... it scares me, but I'm starting to realise that having control, even if using it hurts, is better than trying to suppress it entirely. I've tried that. It doesn't work...” At this point she turned to face them properly, head tilting.
“Hey... You guys mentioned that there's a 'camp' in your organisation, somewhere. Do you practice and train yourselves, away from actual viruses or danger? What do you do to train?” The glows remained in her wrist and ankle strikers for now, the charge only very slowly decaying and she could feel the tingle of them responding to the constant background hum of her internal charge.
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DragonierMan, Suzume, and Aya listened as Lyntael spelled out her history with the 'Vault' and her unusual origins. They then looked at each other, thinking through their link about pressing Lyntael about this 'Vault', but collectively decided that it was probably a GNA fortress and that it would be unwise to seek it out. If Lyn was still using their internal communication channel, she would undoubtedly hear the conversation in its entirety. Lyn then asked about the Neo-Shogun Camp and the three dragoniers nodded and stood up. With a flick on his hand, a rift in the fabric of reality formed on the other side of the pool, a portal linked to the Public Neo-Shogun Camp. "If you wish, we can escort you directly there. Otherwise, you'll get the coordinates from Yasu as a part of orientation, now that you are a member of the Neo-Shogunate," Drago said.
The group waited to see what Lyntael would do. If she decided to go through the portal, they would follow behind.
The group waited to see what Lyntael would do. If she decided to go through the portal, they would follow behind.
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At the creation of the portal and the abrupt invitation, Lyntael turned and glanced between it and her companions, eyes wide suddenly as the faint blush from before blossomed into a crimson spread that raced across her cheeks, and spread up from the front of her chest to creep up her neck as well. She swallowed. The thought of stepping into a camp full of soldiers in her current dress was nearly enough to make her heard stop and she had to fight to work moisture back into her suddenly dry throat.
“Oh! Um... Oh I can't go there dressed like this! It's hard enough with just you!” A nervous, weak laugh escaped her, almost becoming a choked cough part way through. “M-Maybe in a bit.. When I've, um... When I've fixed this up?” She edged away from the portal, her mind imagining a horde of leery-eyed male navis just waiting on the far side. “Er, besides, I was going to ask if you guys wanted to go for a swim? While we're here on a cruise ship?” Swimming was somehow a safer topic; she could be dressed in something almost as revealing as what she had on now, and yet, somehow, it seemed more okay, because it was swim wear.
“Come on, I bet you have really cute swimming gear, right?” This was mostly directed to Aya and Suzume instead as she skipped across to them, seeking back up in her delaying tactics.
“Oh! Um... Oh I can't go there dressed like this! It's hard enough with just you!” A nervous, weak laugh escaped her, almost becoming a choked cough part way through. “M-Maybe in a bit.. When I've, um... When I've fixed this up?” She edged away from the portal, her mind imagining a horde of leery-eyed male navis just waiting on the far side. “Er, besides, I was going to ask if you guys wanted to go for a swim? While we're here on a cruise ship?” Swimming was somehow a safer topic; she could be dressed in something almost as revealing as what she had on now, and yet, somehow, it seemed more okay, because it was swim wear.
“Come on, I bet you have really cute swimming gear, right?” This was mostly directed to Aya and Suzume instead as she skipped across to them, seeking back up in her delaying tactics.