Despite herself, Lyntael was distracted for one brief moment, looking back towards the monster-truck mettank and trying to glean details from beneath its temporarily shattered helm. The eternal mystery of what was under a metool's helmet never posed a better chance of an answer, in this strange wire-framed space; oddly, when the helmet was drawn down over the tank, it foiled even the subnet's simplistic structure, presenting a featureless dome, but just as she thought she might get a proper look at the helmless pilot, an explosion rocked her vision and battered at her body enough to make the girl stagger back.
She curled over, scrubbing at her eyes with one hand and tried to get her bearings. Stupid. She was getting distracted. Lyntael blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision. Somewhere nearby, she heard the odd sound effect of the Met's dome helmet reforming and expanding over the whole tank again and she took a breath trying to refocus herself, thoughts of inappropriate teasing mostly scattered from her mind.
As she breathed out again, head down, a tingling static ripples passed over her body; the static field about her reformed with a pulse, diecting back towards the larger virus while the smaller one was dazed. Lyntael reached out to the sense of certain calm that was never too far away when danger was close; thoughts of the surety and confidence of the woman who had first inspired her to improve herself and to face her problems head on. The shimmering sensation across her skin was accompanied by a ripple in her clothing as she felt her vest, skirt and other garments shift and change against her skin. They formed into the slightly more covering sleeveless martial gi and legging that reminded her of Martia. The complimenting sweat band formed comfortably around her forehead and as she raised her head again, Lyntael opened her eyes, now clear, and began moving quickly towards the smaller tank with confident strides.
Her charge had dulled away to an almost leaden sensation in her chest, but the calm was what she needed now. Her steps picked up into a run, her toes barely touching the panels as light steps carried her the rest of the way to her first target; finish it off while it was recovering, then deal with the big one. As she reach the smaller tank, she slid into an oblique stance between one step and the next, then kicked off. Her other leg slammed around, adding her own momentum to the force she channelled into the motion; even without the burning electricity, she could still feel the energy moving, gathering at her strikers, combining in her chest and then rushing outwards, but it was always a cleaner, more stable force of power when she drew on Martia's help and control.
Lyntael landed from the kick, arresting her movement with one hand briefly put to the ground and a low recovering crouch, ready to spring back in the other direction, but she stole a quick confirming glance around her as she coiled; holy defences or not, there had been enough force in the strike to take care of the smaller virus, but she wasn't about to leave it alone if it had managed to endure.
-= Turn Splice =-
4 Actions Used
2 Actions Remaining
Summary
L1) Action Precluded: Buster Charge
L2) A Fresh Start (SupportBase(20), Status Cure, Feint) (Overcharge -2) (Beginning to move towards the beetank)
L*) Subtype: Turbulence: hands-free frontal defence, deflect first projectile to a random enemy, D Accuracy
L3) Martia Cross (Normal/Melee, Melee Mastery/Bash, Lvl 2: +20Hp)
L*) Fast Armour: 20Hp Casing Refresh
L*) Passive Overcharge Cool (Overcharge -1)
L4) Half-Charged Strike (320Null, Disarm, Impact, Melee-Type, A+) @ Beetank
-=Turn Splice=-
Jennings' General
last edited by Kemix1006
Lyntael would scrub away the tank's gunpowder from her eyes, a light heal washing over her body as she began to make her move towards the tank, the Mettine staying silent for the time being as the Beetank would do all in it's power to try and shake away the stunning sensation from it's body, soon regaining what could be called feeling in it's body. The skittish tank would watch as Lyntael would begin to cross with her partner, Martia, a fresh pair of clothes finally covering the navi up despite the space she was in. The Mettine would take this time to quickly let it's guard down and launch another wide shockwave across the field...and missing so much, it's shockwave went into another area code with how wide the berth it had between it and Lyn.
The virus she was gunning for would soon be face to face between itself and Lyntael, leading to the former launching a frontal bomb off in panic...only for the bomb to be caught into an updraft and be flung far off to the Mettine, managing to blast the Metool in the face (45) as she would bring her foot through the first's body in explosive fashion, scattering it's remains all across the holy panels and leaving little left but an empty carcass.
-- Viruses --
Dynamite2Dynamite2 (Dynamite)
Area: Netopia, Beach
HP: 200
Attack Damage/Effect: 150 Null + Line attack
Attack Accuracy: A
Attack Description: Sets an 80 HP laser trip bomb. When something crosses the sensor beam, the bomb detonates a shaped charge that blasts an entire line. The beam can see through Invisibility.
Element: None
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Dynamite2, Zenny
Special: Objects and creatures that cross the sensor beam after it is set will trigger the bomb.
- Immobile objects and creatures that are in-line with the bomb's sensor beam when it is first set will not trigger the bomb.
- Dynamite viruses cannot set off the laser trip bombs of other Dynamite viruses.: BZZZZT (Ping)
Beetank2Beetank2 (Beetank)
Beetank simply wander the battlefield, constantly shooting bombs at any and all foes. They prefer attacking to dodging. They have one passive movement per turn.
Area: ACDC, SciLab, Kotobuki Town, Netopia, Yumland, NetVegas
HP: 160
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 45 Null + Blast 3
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Launches a bomb that explodes in a fairly large radius.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 45 Null + Blast 2 + Stun 1
Secondary Attack Accuracy: C
Secondary Attack Description: Launches a bomb that immobilizes enemies.
Element: None
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): CrossBomb, ParaBomb, Zenny: DEMOLISHED
Mettank V3 (Mettine)Mettank V3 (Mettine) (Mettank)
A Mettank is a combination of the Metool, Catack, and Armadillo viruses. It looks a lot like a regular Catack, with several notable differences. The main body of the tank is slightly smaller, and the tank's driver is very clearly an actual Metool, though it doesn't bear its signature weapon. The vehicle itself is colored to match the Metool-driver's Helmet; thus the most basic version is gold with green trim, while more powerful versions will be colored differently to follow suit. The tank itself retains the same basic design as a Catack, except that its triangular treads have been replaced with four almost comically over-sized monster-truck style armored wheels, and its main gun now sports two long, narrow tines jutting out vertically up and down from a point close to the muzzle. These make it look rather like a giant version of a Metool's pickaxe, and the cannon is also now housed in a vertical pivot that allows it to adjust up and down, or even swing with enough force to strike the lower tine to the ground.
Most of the time, the Mettank moves very slowly, and it has been seen to activate a defensive mode wherein the Metool-driver's helmet expands to a jumbo size large enough to cover the entire tank in its protective dome. This does, of course, render the virus utterly blind, and when specifically guarding like this it can no longer attack or move.
It has also been seen, occasionally, to display sudden feats of unexpected speed, where it will rev up, then suddenly ram a target. At these times, its helmet defense covers the tank, though it recedes again as soon as the attack run loses momentum.
Area: All
HP: 460
Element: Null
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 60 Null + Blind + Blast 2
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: The Mettank blasts a target with an explosive shell from its main gun, which stuns targets.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 60 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack + Wide Attack
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Slams the pick-tine of its main gun to the ground, causing a large shockwave.
Tertiary Attack Damage/Effect: 60 Null + Group Attack + Breaking + Impact + Movement
Tertiary Attack Accuracy: B
Tertiary Attack Description: The Mettank revs up and rushes one target with sudden speed. It activates its MetGuard when it begins to rush, and deactivates it again as soon as the attack run ends. The Mettank does not return to its original position at the end of the attack run, but remains where it stopped.
Special: MetGuard: The Metool's Helmet expands rapidly to cover the entire tank in a protective dome. Assumes MetalBody and can hold this guard for any number of actions. Activating the guard takes an action, but deactivating it to attack does not. Mettank cannot move or attack while MetGuard is active, however its tertiary attack ignores this. Attacks from below bypass MetGuard for normal damage.
Special: Slow to move, but can move and dodge while attacking.
Note: MetalBody is identical to IronBody, but does not hamper movement. Non-Break attacks deal 0 damage, and Break attacks deal double.
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TankCannon2, Guard2, SonicWave, IronShell2, CrossBomb, BlackCapsule: 94 HP (Off to the far north-west, a feint away) (Normal) (2 Actions remain)
Handy2Handy2 (Handy)
Handy Viruses attack by opening a dimensional gate below themselves, and dropping into it. The exit gate opens next to their destination, and they will rise out of it holding an explosive. This explosive is placed on an unbroken panel, and the Handy is free to move after. The use of gates does not count as teleporting, but can be used as a means of dodging as they attack. Gates are only used when attacking, and at no other time. Handy viruses will not set a new explosive until either a turn has passed, or they pass one action without setting a new bomb, whichever comes first. For more info on the bombs Handy viruses use, see below.
Area: SciLab, Yoka, Okuden Valley, Netopia, Hades Isle
HP: 120
Primary Attack Damage: 100 Null to all enemies after 2 turns
Primary Attack Accuracy: S
Primary Attack Description: Places a 100HP TimeBomb on the field, with a clearly visible digital timer on it. The bomb counts down for two turns, then explodes, dealing 50 damage to all enemies. If the bomb's HP is reduced to Zero before time expires, the bomb is harmlessly destroyed.
Secondary Attack Damage: 100 Null Counterattack + Blast2
Secondary Attack Accuracy: S
Secondary Attack Description: Places a 1HP DudBomb on the field, with a clearly visible digital X displayed on the side. The bomb remains on the field until the end of the turn after it was summoned, then self destructs harmlessly. If the DudBomb is attacked, it detonates whatever attacked it for 50 Null damage in a Blast2 area. This counterattack is indescriminate, and will trigger against the attacker no matter who or what it may be, without exception.
Element: Null.
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TimeBomb2, Zenny
Special: This virus cannot attack unless there is at least 1 unbroken and unoccupied panel on the field for it to place bombs on.: DEAD IN A FREAK MOVEMENT ACCIDENT
-- Navis --
Lyntael.EXE: 305 HP (Strengthen20)(Casing20)(MartiaCross)(Next to Beetank) (Holy) (2 Actions remain)
-- Terrain --
35% Holy
65% Normal
-- Objects -- (A featureless void, but lengthy enough that about two movements either way, in most common cases, will reach one side to the either, even diagonally)
BMD: DELETED
Bench: DELETED
TimeBomb2: DELETED
The virus she was gunning for would soon be face to face between itself and Lyntael, leading to the former launching a frontal bomb off in panic...only for the bomb to be caught into an updraft and be flung far off to the Mettine, managing to blast the Metool in the face (45) as she would bring her foot through the first's body in explosive fashion, scattering it's remains all across the holy panels and leaving little left but an empty carcass.
-- Viruses --
Dynamite2Dynamite2 (Dynamite)
Area: Netopia, Beach
HP: 200
Attack Damage/Effect: 150 Null + Line attack
Attack Accuracy: A
Attack Description: Sets an 80 HP laser trip bomb. When something crosses the sensor beam, the bomb detonates a shaped charge that blasts an entire line. The beam can see through Invisibility.
Element: None
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Dynamite2, Zenny
Special: Objects and creatures that cross the sensor beam after it is set will trigger the bomb.
- Immobile objects and creatures that are in-line with the bomb's sensor beam when it is first set will not trigger the bomb.
- Dynamite viruses cannot set off the laser trip bombs of other Dynamite viruses.: BZZZZT (Ping)
Beetank2Beetank2 (Beetank)
Beetank simply wander the battlefield, constantly shooting bombs at any and all foes. They prefer attacking to dodging. They have one passive movement per turn.
Area: ACDC, SciLab, Kotobuki Town, Netopia, Yumland, NetVegas
HP: 160
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 45 Null + Blast 3
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Launches a bomb that explodes in a fairly large radius.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 45 Null + Blast 2 + Stun 1
Secondary Attack Accuracy: C
Secondary Attack Description: Launches a bomb that immobilizes enemies.
Element: None
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): CrossBomb, ParaBomb, Zenny: DEMOLISHED
Mettank V3 (Mettine)Mettank V3 (Mettine) (Mettank)
A Mettank is a combination of the Metool, Catack, and Armadillo viruses. It looks a lot like a regular Catack, with several notable differences. The main body of the tank is slightly smaller, and the tank's driver is very clearly an actual Metool, though it doesn't bear its signature weapon. The vehicle itself is colored to match the Metool-driver's Helmet; thus the most basic version is gold with green trim, while more powerful versions will be colored differently to follow suit. The tank itself retains the same basic design as a Catack, except that its triangular treads have been replaced with four almost comically over-sized monster-truck style armored wheels, and its main gun now sports two long, narrow tines jutting out vertically up and down from a point close to the muzzle. These make it look rather like a giant version of a Metool's pickaxe, and the cannon is also now housed in a vertical pivot that allows it to adjust up and down, or even swing with enough force to strike the lower tine to the ground.
Most of the time, the Mettank moves very slowly, and it has been seen to activate a defensive mode wherein the Metool-driver's helmet expands to a jumbo size large enough to cover the entire tank in its protective dome. This does, of course, render the virus utterly blind, and when specifically guarding like this it can no longer attack or move.
It has also been seen, occasionally, to display sudden feats of unexpected speed, where it will rev up, then suddenly ram a target. At these times, its helmet defense covers the tank, though it recedes again as soon as the attack run loses momentum.
Area: All
HP: 460
Element: Null
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 60 Null + Blind + Blast 2
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: The Mettank blasts a target with an explosive shell from its main gun, which stuns targets.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 60 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack + Wide Attack
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Slams the pick-tine of its main gun to the ground, causing a large shockwave.
Tertiary Attack Damage/Effect: 60 Null + Group Attack + Breaking + Impact + Movement
Tertiary Attack Accuracy: B
Tertiary Attack Description: The Mettank revs up and rushes one target with sudden speed. It activates its MetGuard when it begins to rush, and deactivates it again as soon as the attack run ends. The Mettank does not return to its original position at the end of the attack run, but remains where it stopped.
Special: MetGuard: The Metool's Helmet expands rapidly to cover the entire tank in a protective dome. Assumes MetalBody and can hold this guard for any number of actions. Activating the guard takes an action, but deactivating it to attack does not. Mettank cannot move or attack while MetGuard is active, however its tertiary attack ignores this. Attacks from below bypass MetGuard for normal damage.
Special: Slow to move, but can move and dodge while attacking.
Note: MetalBody is identical to IronBody, but does not hamper movement. Non-Break attacks deal 0 damage, and Break attacks deal double.
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TankCannon2, Guard2, SonicWave, IronShell2, CrossBomb, BlackCapsule: 94 HP (Off to the far north-west, a feint away) (Normal) (2 Actions remain)
Handy2Handy2 (Handy)
Handy Viruses attack by opening a dimensional gate below themselves, and dropping into it. The exit gate opens next to their destination, and they will rise out of it holding an explosive. This explosive is placed on an unbroken panel, and the Handy is free to move after. The use of gates does not count as teleporting, but can be used as a means of dodging as they attack. Gates are only used when attacking, and at no other time. Handy viruses will not set a new explosive until either a turn has passed, or they pass one action without setting a new bomb, whichever comes first. For more info on the bombs Handy viruses use, see below.
Area: SciLab, Yoka, Okuden Valley, Netopia, Hades Isle
HP: 120
Primary Attack Damage: 100 Null to all enemies after 2 turns
Primary Attack Accuracy: S
Primary Attack Description: Places a 100HP TimeBomb on the field, with a clearly visible digital timer on it. The bomb counts down for two turns, then explodes, dealing 50 damage to all enemies. If the bomb's HP is reduced to Zero before time expires, the bomb is harmlessly destroyed.
Secondary Attack Damage: 100 Null Counterattack + Blast2
Secondary Attack Accuracy: S
Secondary Attack Description: Places a 1HP DudBomb on the field, with a clearly visible digital X displayed on the side. The bomb remains on the field until the end of the turn after it was summoned, then self destructs harmlessly. If the DudBomb is attacked, it detonates whatever attacked it for 50 Null damage in a Blast2 area. This counterattack is indescriminate, and will trigger against the attacker no matter who or what it may be, without exception.
Element: Null.
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TimeBomb2, Zenny
Special: This virus cannot attack unless there is at least 1 unbroken and unoccupied panel on the field for it to place bombs on.: DEAD IN A FREAK MOVEMENT ACCIDENT
-- Navis --
Lyntael.EXE: 305 HP (Strengthen20)(Casing20)(MartiaCross)(Next to Beetank) (Holy) (2 Actions remain)
-- Terrain --
35% Holy
- Halves Final Damage.
- Cannot be in Sigs.
- PanelShot: Converts attack to Life Drain.
65% Normal
- No effects.
-- Objects -- (A featureless void, but lengthy enough that about two movements either way, in most common cases, will reach one side to the either, even diagonally)
BMD: DELETED
Bench: DELETED
TimeBomb2: DELETED
last edited by
The quick side glance confirmed that the smaller tank was out of commission and Lyntael kicked off, letting her stance uncoil and spring forward again, back towards the final threat. Light steps let her weave slightly, twisting side to side and away from whatever other attacks the monster tank still had to use as she closed in on it. Her eyes watched it, steady; she knew it could push its strange helmet-dome out again, possibly, but that wouldn't matter if she did this right.
As she reached the tank, her movements carried her to one side before she turned, one foot planted and brought her fist in. It was as much for leverage as striking, and Lyntael let her body pivot on the point of contact, swinging up and around to strike out again with one foot, then the other swiftly circling the machine as she climbed it. Protective covering or not, she let the momentum carry her, flipping up from the impacts until she cold land perched on the top of it and striking at it with one last pair of impacts that let her spring off and upward further.
For a brief moment, as her body arched and turned over int eh air above the tank, Lyntael let her eyes close and focused the calmer, more stable force of energy filling her. The leap peaked and she dropped down again, leading with one fist as the energy of the punch drew in from her strikers, and followed through with crushing force aimed at the tank-driver's helmet, whether it was big or small in that moment.
Summary
L5) A Determined Flurry (Dodge, Take Aim, Buster Strike (30 x 5 hits, Disarm, Melee-Type, A+) @ Mettine
L6) A Solid Strike (100Null, Break, Impact, Melee-Type, A+)(Self-Slow) (Overcharge +1) @ Mettine
Cooldowns and Overcharge
A Burning Ache: 2TCD
A Single Ember: 3TCD
A Scarred Soul: 3TCD
A Fresh Start: 2TCD
My Anger Directed: 2TCD
'Gainst Violent Threat: 3TCD
With Hopeful Stride: Cooling
Overcharge: Begin: 6, A Fresh Start (-2), Passive Cool (-1), A Solid Strike (+1), Cross Overcharge Correction (-2), End: 2
As she reached the tank, her movements carried her to one side before she turned, one foot planted and brought her fist in. It was as much for leverage as striking, and Lyntael let her body pivot on the point of contact, swinging up and around to strike out again with one foot, then the other swiftly circling the machine as she climbed it. Protective covering or not, she let the momentum carry her, flipping up from the impacts until she cold land perched on the top of it and striking at it with one last pair of impacts that let her spring off and upward further.
For a brief moment, as her body arched and turned over int eh air above the tank, Lyntael let her eyes close and focused the calmer, more stable force of energy filling her. The leap peaked and she dropped down again, leading with one fist as the energy of the punch drew in from her strikers, and followed through with crushing force aimed at the tank-driver's helmet, whether it was big or small in that moment.
Summary
L5) A Determined Flurry (Dodge, Take Aim, Buster Strike (30 x 5 hits, Disarm, Melee-Type, A+) @ Mettine
L6) A Solid Strike (100Null, Break, Impact, Melee-Type, A+)(Self-Slow) (Overcharge +1) @ Mettine
Cooldowns and Overcharge
A Burning Ache: 2TCD
A Single Ember: 3TCD
A Scarred Soul: 3TCD
A Fresh Start: 2TCD
My Anger Directed: 2TCD
'Gainst Violent Threat: 3TCD
With Hopeful Stride: Cooling
Overcharge: Begin: 6, A Fresh Start (-2), Passive Cool (-1), A Solid Strike (+1), Cross Overcharge Correction (-2), End: 2
last edited by
As Lyntael began to launch her strikes against the remaining virus, the Mettine would swing it's pickaxe down at roughly the same time, the virus catching Lyn just barely, ripping away her casing as she would land her strikes, crushing the tank's engine with one of the last strikes (30x5) and causing the thing to explode in glorious fashion, leading the metool to be destroyed in the process, ending the fight, the area quiet and calm again, despite everything.
-- Viruses --
Dynamite2Dynamite2 (Dynamite)
Area: Netopia, Beach
HP: 200
Attack Damage/Effect: 150 Null + Line attack
Attack Accuracy: A
Attack Description: Sets an 80 HP laser trip bomb. When something crosses the sensor beam, the bomb detonates a shaped charge that blasts an entire line. The beam can see through Invisibility.
Element: None
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Dynamite2, Zenny
Special: Objects and creatures that cross the sensor beam after it is set will trigger the bomb.
- Immobile objects and creatures that are in-line with the bomb's sensor beam when it is first set will not trigger the bomb.
- Dynamite viruses cannot set off the laser trip bombs of other Dynamite viruses.: BZZZZT (Ping)
Beetank2Beetank2 (Beetank)
Beetank simply wander the battlefield, constantly shooting bombs at any and all foes. They prefer attacking to dodging. They have one passive movement per turn.
Area: ACDC, SciLab, Kotobuki Town, Netopia, Yumland, NetVegas
HP: 160
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 45 Null + Blast 3
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Launches a bomb that explodes in a fairly large radius.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 45 Null + Blast 2 + Stun 1
Secondary Attack Accuracy: C
Secondary Attack Description: Launches a bomb that immobilizes enemies.
Element: None
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): CrossBomb, ParaBomb, Zenny: DEMOLISHED
Mettank V3 (Mettine)Mettank V3 (Mettine) (Mettank)
A Mettank is a combination of the Metool, Catack, and Armadillo viruses. It looks a lot like a regular Catack, with several notable differences. The main body of the tank is slightly smaller, and the tank's driver is very clearly an actual Metool, though it doesn't bear its signature weapon. The vehicle itself is colored to match the Metool-driver's Helmet; thus the most basic version is gold with green trim, while more powerful versions will be colored differently to follow suit. The tank itself retains the same basic design as a Catack, except that its triangular treads have been replaced with four almost comically over-sized monster-truck style armored wheels, and its main gun now sports two long, narrow tines jutting out vertically up and down from a point close to the muzzle. These make it look rather like a giant version of a Metool's pickaxe, and the cannon is also now housed in a vertical pivot that allows it to adjust up and down, or even swing with enough force to strike the lower tine to the ground.
Most of the time, the Mettank moves very slowly, and it has been seen to activate a defensive mode wherein the Metool-driver's helmet expands to a jumbo size large enough to cover the entire tank in its protective dome. This does, of course, render the virus utterly blind, and when specifically guarding like this it can no longer attack or move.
It has also been seen, occasionally, to display sudden feats of unexpected speed, where it will rev up, then suddenly ram a target. At these times, its helmet defense covers the tank, though it recedes again as soon as the attack run loses momentum.
Area: All
HP: 460
Element: Null
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 60 Null + Blind + Blast 2
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: The Mettank blasts a target with an explosive shell from its main gun, which stuns targets.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 60 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack + Wide Attack
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Slams the pick-tine of its main gun to the ground, causing a large shockwave.
Tertiary Attack Damage/Effect: 60 Null + Group Attack + Breaking + Impact + Movement
Tertiary Attack Accuracy: B
Tertiary Attack Description: The Mettank revs up and rushes one target with sudden speed. It activates its MetGuard when it begins to rush, and deactivates it again as soon as the attack run ends. The Mettank does not return to its original position at the end of the attack run, but remains where it stopped.
Special: MetGuard: The Metool's Helmet expands rapidly to cover the entire tank in a protective dome. Assumes MetalBody and can hold this guard for any number of actions. Activating the guard takes an action, but deactivating it to attack does not. Mettank cannot move or attack while MetGuard is active, however its tertiary attack ignores this. Attacks from below bypass MetGuard for normal damage.
Special: Slow to move, but can move and dodge while attacking.
Note: MetalBody is identical to IronBody, but does not hamper movement. Non-Break attacks deal 0 damage, and Break attacks deal double.
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TankCannon2, Guard2, SonicWave, IronShell2, CrossBomb, BlackCapsule: RIP
Handy2Handy2 (Handy)
Handy Viruses attack by opening a dimensional gate below themselves, and dropping into it. The exit gate opens next to their destination, and they will rise out of it holding an explosive. This explosive is placed on an unbroken panel, and the Handy is free to move after. The use of gates does not count as teleporting, but can be used as a means of dodging as they attack. Gates are only used when attacking, and at no other time. Handy viruses will not set a new explosive until either a turn has passed, or they pass one action without setting a new bomb, whichever comes first. For more info on the bombs Handy viruses use, see below.
Area: SciLab, Yoka, Okuden Valley, Netopia, Hades Isle
HP: 120
Primary Attack Damage: 100 Null to all enemies after 2 turns
Primary Attack Accuracy: S
Primary Attack Description: Places a 100HP TimeBomb on the field, with a clearly visible digital timer on it. The bomb counts down for two turns, then explodes, dealing 50 damage to all enemies. If the bomb's HP is reduced to Zero before time expires, the bomb is harmlessly destroyed.
Secondary Attack Damage: 100 Null Counterattack + Blast2
Secondary Attack Accuracy: S
Secondary Attack Description: Places a 1HP DudBomb on the field, with a clearly visible digital X displayed on the side. The bomb remains on the field until the end of the turn after it was summoned, then self destructs harmlessly. If the DudBomb is attacked, it detonates whatever attacked it for 50 Null damage in a Blast2 area. This counterattack is indescriminate, and will trigger against the attacker no matter who or what it may be, without exception.
Element: Null.
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TimeBomb2, Zenny
Special: This virus cannot attack unless there is at least 1 unbroken and unoccupied panel on the field for it to place bombs on.: DEAD IN A FREAK MOVEMENT ACCIDENT
-- Navis --
Lyntael.EXE: 305 HP (Strengthen20)(Casing20)(MartiaCross)(Next to Beetank) (Holy) (2 Actions remain)
-- Terrain --
35% Holy
65% Normal
-- Objects -- (A featureless void, but lengthy enough that about two movements either way, in most common cases, will reach one side to the either, even diagonally)
BMD: DELETED
Bench: DELETED
TimeBomb2: DELETED
Battle 4 victory!
Rewards: 5400z, 22 BF,
BlackCapsuleEffect: Add Blind
Accuracy: S
Description: Grants one damaging chip attack the ability to blind on-hit. Rare
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Trader Rank: C
-- Viruses --
Dynamite2Dynamite2 (Dynamite)
Area: Netopia, Beach
HP: 200
Attack Damage/Effect: 150 Null + Line attack
Attack Accuracy: A
Attack Description: Sets an 80 HP laser trip bomb. When something crosses the sensor beam, the bomb detonates a shaped charge that blasts an entire line. The beam can see through Invisibility.
Element: None
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): Dynamite2, Zenny
Special: Objects and creatures that cross the sensor beam after it is set will trigger the bomb.
- Immobile objects and creatures that are in-line with the bomb's sensor beam when it is first set will not trigger the bomb.
- Dynamite viruses cannot set off the laser trip bombs of other Dynamite viruses.: BZZZZT (Ping)
Beetank2Beetank2 (Beetank)
Beetank simply wander the battlefield, constantly shooting bombs at any and all foes. They prefer attacking to dodging. They have one passive movement per turn.
Area: ACDC, SciLab, Kotobuki Town, Netopia, Yumland, NetVegas
HP: 160
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 45 Null + Blast 3
Primary Attack Accuracy: C
Primary Attack Description: Launches a bomb that explodes in a fairly large radius.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 45 Null + Blast 2 + Stun 1
Secondary Attack Accuracy: C
Secondary Attack Description: Launches a bomb that immobilizes enemies.
Element: None
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): CrossBomb, ParaBomb, Zenny: DEMOLISHED
Mettank V3 (Mettine)Mettank V3 (Mettine) (Mettank)
A Mettank is a combination of the Metool, Catack, and Armadillo viruses. It looks a lot like a regular Catack, with several notable differences. The main body of the tank is slightly smaller, and the tank's driver is very clearly an actual Metool, though it doesn't bear its signature weapon. The vehicle itself is colored to match the Metool-driver's Helmet; thus the most basic version is gold with green trim, while more powerful versions will be colored differently to follow suit. The tank itself retains the same basic design as a Catack, except that its triangular treads have been replaced with four almost comically over-sized monster-truck style armored wheels, and its main gun now sports two long, narrow tines jutting out vertically up and down from a point close to the muzzle. These make it look rather like a giant version of a Metool's pickaxe, and the cannon is also now housed in a vertical pivot that allows it to adjust up and down, or even swing with enough force to strike the lower tine to the ground.
Most of the time, the Mettank moves very slowly, and it has been seen to activate a defensive mode wherein the Metool-driver's helmet expands to a jumbo size large enough to cover the entire tank in its protective dome. This does, of course, render the virus utterly blind, and when specifically guarding like this it can no longer attack or move.
It has also been seen, occasionally, to display sudden feats of unexpected speed, where it will rev up, then suddenly ram a target. At these times, its helmet defense covers the tank, though it recedes again as soon as the attack run loses momentum.
Area: All
HP: 460
Element: Null
Primary Attack Damage/Effect: 60 Null + Blind + Blast 2
Primary Attack Accuracy: B
Primary Attack Description: The Mettank blasts a target with an explosive shell from its main gun, which stuns targets.
Secondary Attack Damage/Effect: 60 Null + Piercing + Ground Attack + Wide Attack
Secondary Attack Accuracy: B
Secondary Attack Description: Slams the pick-tine of its main gun to the ground, causing a large shockwave.
Tertiary Attack Damage/Effect: 60 Null + Group Attack + Breaking + Impact + Movement
Tertiary Attack Accuracy: B
Tertiary Attack Description: The Mettank revs up and rushes one target with sudden speed. It activates its MetGuard when it begins to rush, and deactivates it again as soon as the attack run ends. The Mettank does not return to its original position at the end of the attack run, but remains where it stopped.
Special: MetGuard: The Metool's Helmet expands rapidly to cover the entire tank in a protective dome. Assumes MetalBody and can hold this guard for any number of actions. Activating the guard takes an action, but deactivating it to attack does not. Mettank cannot move or attack while MetGuard is active, however its tertiary attack ignores this. Attacks from below bypass MetGuard for normal damage.
Special: Slow to move, but can move and dodge while attacking.
Note: MetalBody is identical to IronBody, but does not hamper movement. Non-Break attacks deal 0 damage, and Break attacks deal double.
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TankCannon2, Guard2, SonicWave, IronShell2, CrossBomb, BlackCapsule: RIP
Handy2Handy2 (Handy)
Handy Viruses attack by opening a dimensional gate below themselves, and dropping into it. The exit gate opens next to their destination, and they will rise out of it holding an explosive. This explosive is placed on an unbroken panel, and the Handy is free to move after. The use of gates does not count as teleporting, but can be used as a means of dodging as they attack. Gates are only used when attacking, and at no other time. Handy viruses will not set a new explosive until either a turn has passed, or they pass one action without setting a new bomb, whichever comes first. For more info on the bombs Handy viruses use, see below.
Area: SciLab, Yoka, Okuden Valley, Netopia, Hades Isle
HP: 120
Primary Attack Damage: 100 Null to all enemies after 2 turns
Primary Attack Accuracy: S
Primary Attack Description: Places a 100HP TimeBomb on the field, with a clearly visible digital timer on it. The bomb counts down for two turns, then explodes, dealing 50 damage to all enemies. If the bomb's HP is reduced to Zero before time expires, the bomb is harmlessly destroyed.
Secondary Attack Damage: 100 Null Counterattack + Blast2
Secondary Attack Accuracy: S
Secondary Attack Description: Places a 1HP DudBomb on the field, with a clearly visible digital X displayed on the side. The bomb remains on the field until the end of the turn after it was summoned, then self destructs harmlessly. If the DudBomb is attacked, it detonates whatever attacked it for 50 Null damage in a Blast2 area. This counterattack is indescriminate, and will trigger against the attacker no matter who or what it may be, without exception.
Element: Null.
Possible Rewards (Per Virus): TimeBomb2, Zenny
Special: This virus cannot attack unless there is at least 1 unbroken and unoccupied panel on the field for it to place bombs on.: DEAD IN A FREAK MOVEMENT ACCIDENT
-- Navis --
Lyntael.EXE: 305 HP (Strengthen20)(Casing20)(MartiaCross)(Next to Beetank) (Holy) (2 Actions remain)
-- Terrain --
35% Holy
- Halves Final Damage.
- Cannot be in Sigs.
- PanelShot: Converts attack to Life Drain.
65% Normal
- No effects.
-- Objects -- (A featureless void, but lengthy enough that about two movements either way, in most common cases, will reach one side to the either, even diagonally)
BMD: DELETED
Bench: DELETED
TimeBomb2: DELETED
Battle 4 victory!
Rewards: 5400z, 22 BF,
BlackCapsuleEffect: Add BlindAccuracy: S
Description: Grants one damaging chip attack the ability to blind on-hit. Rare
Duration: Once
Element: Null
Trader Rank: C
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Amidst the wreckage of viral junk that remained, Lyntael lifted her fist from the panels and rose from the crouch she'd finished her previous attack in. The full expenditure of force had been answered with a steady, constant rebuild – not erratic or wild but a stable flow, thanks to her cross. A thought murmured in her mind that there had always been something off-putting about it, before, but whatever had bothered about using it before didn't register for her now. She held her stance for a few extra seconds as she looked around, but this time there were no more viruses incoming and she panted softly in the sudden silence, skin flushed.
The victory came with a distantly familiar rush of exultation – a feeling that heightened her blush and threatened to feed back into the other sensations that she'd more or less managed to set aside for the time being. Mostly. As she forced herself to relax, Lyntael looked down at her body again; the soft fabric that her normal outfit turned into during this cross was light and comfortable, and covered her from shoulder to ankle, but in this space it didn't do any better a job of actually concealing her form. The lighting pattern that often suffused her skin had receded as well, and left her looking simply exposed. She shook her head and walked a few paces, stretching slightly as she did. The still rapid beat of her heart was more prominent now than the slow hum of her inner charge, but it did feel strange not to have its gentle pulse there in the background, even when she was calmer. She closed her eyes and released the cross, shivering slightly as she felt her outfit shift softly back to her normal clothes. The steady hum became a slow pulsing beat again, and she reached for it, drawing a faint crackle of electricity through the rest of her body and letting it fan out from her in a scattering wash of sparks. That was better.
The fight itself hadn't taken too long, and Lyntael walked a slow circle of the room she'd been told to hold position in. They'd broken most of the furniture that existed in the subnet space – even if they were just reflections of the actual network above, they hadn't rectified yet and it left her with nowhere comfortable to sit while she waited for Rogan to work. Without thought, she checked the masking and nodded to herself – it was stable enough with no danger of separating for now.
The few moments of quiet aftermath let Lyntael feel some of the stain she'd put herself under more keenly; it was only little things, but she was starting to feel hurt and tired; it was enough to put at least a small damper on her more inappropriate thoughts and feelings, for the time being, though reflecting on how she'd been feeling just before the last encounter still brought the fierce blush back to her skin. The thought that she'd gone as far as she had, seemingly with her rational brain checked out, was an equal mix of exciting and mortifying now; she was definitely still... excited, even now, but at least she felt like she was thinking somewhat more clearly. Work first, teasing later. Rogan had assured her he couldn't see anything, and she hadn't even told him what her visual situation was like to begin with, so he had no reason to try to wrangle a peek, and... as always the small note of disappointment... she knew he wouldn't want to if he did know. The same conflict of thoughts circled her mind as she continued to wait, wandering slowly around the room and keeping her eyes open for further threats.
“Lyntael,” Rogan's voice broke her out of her thoughts and she paused, standing straighter unconsciously in response.
“Here, sir.” Despite the minute or two that had passed, her body still felt hot and the lingering echo of just how worked up she had been remained in ways she could still feel but she kept her voice steady.
“I've recovered the things I need from here; it's enough to go on for now, but there's another lead I'd like to follow up as long as we're undetected. What's your status?”
“Extenuation is minor. Not negligible, but low. Integrity is good. No notable risk of separation for now.”
“Good. I'm setting up a transition. Hold position there, then take the emulation on my mark.”
“Yes, sir.” She nodded along with the affirmation and took one more look around the space to ensure there were no more interlopers coming.
A few seconds later, a circular wireframe traced itself out on the ground near the centre of the chamber and Lyntael stepped over to it quickly. With only the green tracery of lines, she couldn't make out too much detail about it, but after a moment she felt it come on line with an emulated link much like the ones Rogan used to insert her without a formal jack-in. She took a breath, bracing in advance.
“Are you ready, Lyntael?”
“Yes, sir.”
“... Now.” She stepped into the circle and activated the transit as he spoke, and felt the pale light beam take her a moment later.
The victory came with a distantly familiar rush of exultation – a feeling that heightened her blush and threatened to feed back into the other sensations that she'd more or less managed to set aside for the time being. Mostly. As she forced herself to relax, Lyntael looked down at her body again; the soft fabric that her normal outfit turned into during this cross was light and comfortable, and covered her from shoulder to ankle, but in this space it didn't do any better a job of actually concealing her form. The lighting pattern that often suffused her skin had receded as well, and left her looking simply exposed. She shook her head and walked a few paces, stretching slightly as she did. The still rapid beat of her heart was more prominent now than the slow hum of her inner charge, but it did feel strange not to have its gentle pulse there in the background, even when she was calmer. She closed her eyes and released the cross, shivering slightly as she felt her outfit shift softly back to her normal clothes. The steady hum became a slow pulsing beat again, and she reached for it, drawing a faint crackle of electricity through the rest of her body and letting it fan out from her in a scattering wash of sparks. That was better.
The fight itself hadn't taken too long, and Lyntael walked a slow circle of the room she'd been told to hold position in. They'd broken most of the furniture that existed in the subnet space – even if they were just reflections of the actual network above, they hadn't rectified yet and it left her with nowhere comfortable to sit while she waited for Rogan to work. Without thought, she checked the masking and nodded to herself – it was stable enough with no danger of separating for now.
The few moments of quiet aftermath let Lyntael feel some of the stain she'd put herself under more keenly; it was only little things, but she was starting to feel hurt and tired; it was enough to put at least a small damper on her more inappropriate thoughts and feelings, for the time being, though reflecting on how she'd been feeling just before the last encounter still brought the fierce blush back to her skin. The thought that she'd gone as far as she had, seemingly with her rational brain checked out, was an equal mix of exciting and mortifying now; she was definitely still... excited, even now, but at least she felt like she was thinking somewhat more clearly. Work first, teasing later. Rogan had assured her he couldn't see anything, and she hadn't even told him what her visual situation was like to begin with, so he had no reason to try to wrangle a peek, and... as always the small note of disappointment... she knew he wouldn't want to if he did know. The same conflict of thoughts circled her mind as she continued to wait, wandering slowly around the room and keeping her eyes open for further threats.
“Lyntael,” Rogan's voice broke her out of her thoughts and she paused, standing straighter unconsciously in response.
“Here, sir.” Despite the minute or two that had passed, her body still felt hot and the lingering echo of just how worked up she had been remained in ways she could still feel but she kept her voice steady.
“I've recovered the things I need from here; it's enough to go on for now, but there's another lead I'd like to follow up as long as we're undetected. What's your status?”
“Extenuation is minor. Not negligible, but low. Integrity is good. No notable risk of separation for now.”
“Good. I'm setting up a transition. Hold position there, then take the emulation on my mark.”
“Yes, sir.” She nodded along with the affirmation and took one more look around the space to ensure there were no more interlopers coming.
A few seconds later, a circular wireframe traced itself out on the ground near the centre of the chamber and Lyntael stepped over to it quickly. With only the green tracery of lines, she couldn't make out too much detail about it, but after a moment she felt it come on line with an emulated link much like the ones Rogan used to insert her without a formal jack-in. She took a breath, bracing in advance.
“Are you ready, Lyntael?”
“Yes, sir.”
“... Now.” She stepped into the circle and activated the transit as he spoke, and felt the pale light beam take her a moment later.
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The faltering light that surrounded Lyntael raked her like static as the patched-through emulation transported her deeper through the subnet layer. She stumbled, wincing and hugging herself for an extra moment or two after the light receded before opening her eyes to look around.
Transparent wire-frame traceries continued to define most of what she could see, but here at least there was an ambient light, and some elements of colour information seemed to have come through as well – the floors and walls were picked out in grey, but the room she was in also seemed to have a long desk, mapped in brown lines, with terminal screens built into the surface at regular spaces, in blue, along with a collection of uniform-looking office chairs, red; a large screen at one end of the room, silver, a broad window on one side, lighter blue, and several decorative plants, brown and green, in the corners gave the impression of a corporate business meeting room. Lyntael glanced at herself – sure enough, the tracer lines making up her clothing were the right tones of yellow... and white lines for her underwear, she noted with a small frown. Still doing nothing to actually hide what lay beneath... It seemed she wasn't out of this embarrassing predicament just yet.
Another difference she noticed, however, was that the walls and floors, and most of the furnishings, had retained opacity – she couldn't see through into what was beyond the one door that exited the space. She was still in the subnet layer of whatever private network Rogan was searching, but it might be more closely aligned, perhaps... or at least with a broader data margin.
“I'm here, sir. Transfer was stable, filter is still in place. Extenuation spiked during the transfer but it's back to a safe status now, no separation. I can see-” Lyntael cut off her report suddenly, catching her breath; from beyond the door she caught the sound of voices chatting, and as she listened the general sounds of quiet activity beyond. The door moved and Lyntael threw herself down behind the desk with a bitten-back gasp, scuttling to a low crouch at the opposite end of the room. She heard the door open to admit a pair of navigators, talking to one another as they entered the room, and unconsciously held her breath. On instinct, Lyntael found herself curling lower into her crouch, trying to better cover her body with a futile motion while her heart hammered in her chest and a furious blush spread fresh across her skin. Rogan hadn't warned her about other navis! She couldn't be seen, or else she'd need a good story.
The pair of voices moved to the desk and she heard chairs pulled while their conversation continued; it sounded muffled, but she could make out elements of it. It wasn't useful though – complaints about work colleagues, and deadlines. Talk of fixing an incorrect roster. Another downward glance made her close her eyes and grip onto her vest and skirt briefly, focusing on the feel of the garments. It didn't help in any real sense, she knew, but with her eyes closed she could at least remind herself that they were there. The heat in her cheeks and chest only grew as she listened tot he pair talk only a few feet from her. All it would take would be for one of them to get up and move closer.
“Lyntael,” Rogan's voice close by her ear made her start, bite back a yelp and muffle one hand over her mouth immediately. The voices continued without pause. “Status. I'm ready to progress; are you able to keep pace?”
“I can't!” She hissed a whisper as quietly as she could, and tried to glance out around the edge of the table towards the others in the room. “There are other navigators here! They'll see me! Even if I have an excuse I can't let them see me like this!” Too late, she realised what she'd said, and desperately tried to think of a second excuse to give Rogan about what she meant. A slide of chairs saved her from further panic as the two voices came to some agreement and began to move away again. The door opened and closed and Lyntael felt knots of tension relax. “Wait... I think they've gone.” She took a longer breath, breathing slowly, then stood and edged towards the door. She'd just been fighting viruses, but it had only taken the threat of being seen to realise that this wasn't the same. Even if it often seemed like some viruses were clever, and intelligent enough to reason with, there was something very different between that, and being seen by other navigators. Rogan's answer came a moment later, though once again he sounded mostly focused on his work.
“You should be in a small relay network now, Lyntael, and it will be staffed by other programs, but you are still within the subnet layer, and they should not be able to see you unless they are there as well, or have special coding for it. Continue; this should not take long.” He hadn't asked about her slip, but she wasn't sure what to make of that. Rogan's dive beginning to probe forward, tugging at her senses.
“Yes, sir. What-” she swallowed as her throat felt suddenly dry. “What should I do, if I'm seen?” Carefully, she stood by the door and bent low to peek through the slim gap where blind didn't fully cover the window panel; it was hard to see much, but she got the impression of a wide open space beyond. She heard Rogan cough and clear his throat before answering her.
“Network errors and glitching are common enough in the rogue layers. A simple excuse is best, and ignorance would be believable in this case.” The answer was hurried, but she wasn't paying as much attention to it as she was the door in front of her. 'Should not' be able to see her wasn't the most reassuring proposition, but she trusted Rogan. Her pulse had picked up to a rapid race again and the temptation to fall into short, quick breaths had grown stronger. She stared at the door and took the handle. Rogan had said he didn't absolutely need her here for this – just that it would be convenient. He didn't sound as though it would be a big problem if she did get seen or identified, this time, since it wouldn't trace back to him anyway. He hadn't asked her about 'looking like this'. Surely he would have asked about that, in case it affected the mission. He might have seen, when they did the transfer... but he'd have said something, surely he would have said something, some objection, or complaint at least. She took a longer breath and swallowed, then slowly pushed open the door.
It slid open smoothly, revealing a broad, open space crosshatched with work stations that looked more like office cubicles. Smaller, lighter and less permanent items around the space still looked completely transparent in their wireframes, but other elements were opaque; she could see navigators working at stations and walking between the rows, and heard the quiet sounds of computations being run, operator calls and other soft chatter. As she stepped out, breathless, the door flickered for a moment, becoming closed again behind her, and several navigators looked up from their work, or paused mid stride to look in her direction. Lyntael froze, a mortified blush flying across her skin with fury as she stared back at the various eyes looking towards her. She tried to swallow; to open her mouth or say something, but nothing came.
Transparent wire-frame traceries continued to define most of what she could see, but here at least there was an ambient light, and some elements of colour information seemed to have come through as well – the floors and walls were picked out in grey, but the room she was in also seemed to have a long desk, mapped in brown lines, with terminal screens built into the surface at regular spaces, in blue, along with a collection of uniform-looking office chairs, red; a large screen at one end of the room, silver, a broad window on one side, lighter blue, and several decorative plants, brown and green, in the corners gave the impression of a corporate business meeting room. Lyntael glanced at herself – sure enough, the tracer lines making up her clothing were the right tones of yellow... and white lines for her underwear, she noted with a small frown. Still doing nothing to actually hide what lay beneath... It seemed she wasn't out of this embarrassing predicament just yet.
Another difference she noticed, however, was that the walls and floors, and most of the furnishings, had retained opacity – she couldn't see through into what was beyond the one door that exited the space. She was still in the subnet layer of whatever private network Rogan was searching, but it might be more closely aligned, perhaps... or at least with a broader data margin.
“I'm here, sir. Transfer was stable, filter is still in place. Extenuation spiked during the transfer but it's back to a safe status now, no separation. I can see-” Lyntael cut off her report suddenly, catching her breath; from beyond the door she caught the sound of voices chatting, and as she listened the general sounds of quiet activity beyond. The door moved and Lyntael threw herself down behind the desk with a bitten-back gasp, scuttling to a low crouch at the opposite end of the room. She heard the door open to admit a pair of navigators, talking to one another as they entered the room, and unconsciously held her breath. On instinct, Lyntael found herself curling lower into her crouch, trying to better cover her body with a futile motion while her heart hammered in her chest and a furious blush spread fresh across her skin. Rogan hadn't warned her about other navis! She couldn't be seen, or else she'd need a good story.
The pair of voices moved to the desk and she heard chairs pulled while their conversation continued; it sounded muffled, but she could make out elements of it. It wasn't useful though – complaints about work colleagues, and deadlines. Talk of fixing an incorrect roster. Another downward glance made her close her eyes and grip onto her vest and skirt briefly, focusing on the feel of the garments. It didn't help in any real sense, she knew, but with her eyes closed she could at least remind herself that they were there. The heat in her cheeks and chest only grew as she listened tot he pair talk only a few feet from her. All it would take would be for one of them to get up and move closer.
“Lyntael,” Rogan's voice close by her ear made her start, bite back a yelp and muffle one hand over her mouth immediately. The voices continued without pause. “Status. I'm ready to progress; are you able to keep pace?”
“I can't!” She hissed a whisper as quietly as she could, and tried to glance out around the edge of the table towards the others in the room. “There are other navigators here! They'll see me! Even if I have an excuse I can't let them see me like this!” Too late, she realised what she'd said, and desperately tried to think of a second excuse to give Rogan about what she meant. A slide of chairs saved her from further panic as the two voices came to some agreement and began to move away again. The door opened and closed and Lyntael felt knots of tension relax. “Wait... I think they've gone.” She took a longer breath, breathing slowly, then stood and edged towards the door. She'd just been fighting viruses, but it had only taken the threat of being seen to realise that this wasn't the same. Even if it often seemed like some viruses were clever, and intelligent enough to reason with, there was something very different between that, and being seen by other navigators. Rogan's answer came a moment later, though once again he sounded mostly focused on his work.
“You should be in a small relay network now, Lyntael, and it will be staffed by other programs, but you are still within the subnet layer, and they should not be able to see you unless they are there as well, or have special coding for it. Continue; this should not take long.” He hadn't asked about her slip, but she wasn't sure what to make of that. Rogan's dive beginning to probe forward, tugging at her senses.
“Yes, sir. What-” she swallowed as her throat felt suddenly dry. “What should I do, if I'm seen?” Carefully, she stood by the door and bent low to peek through the slim gap where blind didn't fully cover the window panel; it was hard to see much, but she got the impression of a wide open space beyond. She heard Rogan cough and clear his throat before answering her.
“Network errors and glitching are common enough in the rogue layers. A simple excuse is best, and ignorance would be believable in this case.” The answer was hurried, but she wasn't paying as much attention to it as she was the door in front of her. 'Should not' be able to see her wasn't the most reassuring proposition, but she trusted Rogan. Her pulse had picked up to a rapid race again and the temptation to fall into short, quick breaths had grown stronger. She stared at the door and took the handle. Rogan had said he didn't absolutely need her here for this – just that it would be convenient. He didn't sound as though it would be a big problem if she did get seen or identified, this time, since it wouldn't trace back to him anyway. He hadn't asked her about 'looking like this'. Surely he would have asked about that, in case it affected the mission. He might have seen, when they did the transfer... but he'd have said something, surely he would have said something, some objection, or complaint at least. She took a longer breath and swallowed, then slowly pushed open the door.
It slid open smoothly, revealing a broad, open space crosshatched with work stations that looked more like office cubicles. Smaller, lighter and less permanent items around the space still looked completely transparent in their wireframes, but other elements were opaque; she could see navigators working at stations and walking between the rows, and heard the quiet sounds of computations being run, operator calls and other soft chatter. As she stepped out, breathless, the door flickered for a moment, becoming closed again behind her, and several navigators looked up from their work, or paused mid stride to look in her direction. Lyntael froze, a mortified blush flying across her skin with fury as she stared back at the various eyes looking towards her. She tried to swallow; to open her mouth or say something, but nothing came.
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One of the navis that had paused kept walking, and swiftly enough the others seemed to shrug or simply disregard whatever had drawn their attention, and they each looked away again. Lyntael stayed frozen to the spot for another few moments, taking short, shallow breaths, then looked over her shoulder back to the door. Maybe there was some cross-over. She was seeing the main network layer, but she'd opened the door in the subnet. It had flickered back again, so, maybe what she did here mirrored onto the main network a little. It was better than not being able to interact with things at all, she guessed. As she tried to take a longer breath, she felt a nervous tremble shudder through her. It wasn't fear, she realised; she didn't want to be caught or seen, of course, but the nerves she felt was making it... exciting, in a way she didn't understand. What was wrong with her?
She tried to set the thoughts aside and braced herself, then began to walk slowly, carefully, out into the office room, taking one near breathless step at a time while around her, the sound of other navigators working, unaware, filled her ears far more loudly than it probably was. Another navi stood from their station and walked out into the thoroughfare, moving in her direction. They looked up from their data pad, seemingly straight into her own eyes, but then looked down again as they kept walking. Lyntael felt her breath catch, but then shuffled quickly to one side, pressing herself against the nearby cubicle wall to let the other navi pass by inches from her. She had no idea what would happen if any of them actually touched her, like this, and it would probably be a bad idea to test it.
She stayed where she was for an extra moment, leaning on the divide. The other navis, she noticed, didn't seem exposed, not in the way she was. Like her, their outer cosmetic clothing was marked as coloured, transparent wireframe meshes, but for the others that stopped at their undersuites, which were fully opaque. She couldn't think of any reason why, but it certainly didn't feel fair... not when her own underwear didn't enjoy the same benefit. Another quick glance down at herself gave her a fresh desire to cover her delicate places with her hands, but she resisted the urge; she needed to focus.
Rogan's dive tugged her this way and that through the office environment, and Lyntael followed after. She found herself glancing down at her own body every few moments, and then back across to whichever of the other navigators she was passing closest to; each little check brought a spike of nerves and excitement, and an odd, incredulous feeling about what she was doing. It wouldn't go away, and every time she caught herself checking and confirming it, the sensation grew stronger. The fiery blush hadn't calmed, and indeed she could feel the heat of it in her cheeks and down her neck, and see it across the top of her chest as well now.
“Lyntael,”
“Ah!” Rogan's voice came to her quietly, and snapped her out of her other thoughts with a startled squeak. She clapped hands over her mouth as a navi to her left lifted his head and cocked on ear to the side. She scurried on a few paces and ducked into one of the small cubicles that was currently empty. “Yes! Sir, sorry, here!” She whispered and gently pressed one hand to her chest, trying to clam her racing heart.
“...Is something the matter, Lyntael?” Did he sound amused? No, it couldn't be that, she was imagining it. Wasn't she? She felt a small shudder pass through her.
“No, sir, I'm fine. I think the navis here might still be able to... ah... detect me, if I make too much noise or move things around.”
“Understood. Try to avoid that, but I need you to check something. In the space you're in now, there should be a number of access terminals; find NCC-SS-14-7. If it's manned, I need you to find out as much as you can about the navigator currently working it.” Lyntael nodded, then murmured a short affirmative. At some point, her hand had shifted across from the centre of her chest, to one side, gripping harder, and she blinked down at it before pulling the hand away. Focus.
After another moment, she stood, closing her eyes and taking an extra second to brush down her skirt and straighten her vest; it was beyond pointless, here, but with her eyes closed it was a momentary reassurance. Alright; she had a task. A quick check of the masking told her everything was stable enough for now and she began to walk slowly around the office space, searching.
There was an almost surreal element to it; the space was busy, and every time she caught sight of herself, in the middle of it all, the swell of confusing sensations pressed at her anew. Each work station was an operating node with its own designation, but most of them were in use and the dividers were unhelpfully devoid of any identifying signs. She turned and darted back to the empty cubicle she'd sheltered in before. Each terminal, she could see through the subnet's data lines, bore a connection that traced out and away to some other location, but it was only when she stood right in front of the work station itself that she could make out the identifying designate coded into the data stream. It wasn't the right number, but it was a start.
A navi paused at the entrance to the space she was in just as Lyntael turned to leave, skimming through a small data pad before he turned in her direction. The girl bit back a short gasp and drew backwards, then hurriedly pressed herself back further as he walked towards her. There was nowhere to move. Between desperate glances, she felt her behind hit the desk itself and shuffled back onto it, sliding up on one side of the terminal and pulling her legs clear as her unwitting problem lazily reached out to take his seat and slide into position in front of the work station. Lyntael held still for a moment, trying to hold her breath while her skin hummed with nerves, and other parallel sensations. The navi tapped rapidly at the terminal, then glanced to the side, looking right her her, only a handful of inches away. He had to be looking at something on the wall of the cubicle, she was sure of it, but it still felt like his gaze was boring right into her groin, where she could feel traitorously damp fabric rubbing against her with every small shift she desperately tried not to make.
With no real way to climb down from the perch she'd ended up in, Lyntael reached up to grip the sides of the dividing walls and gradually pulled herself up from the space until she could sit on the top where four sections met. She just had to hope that no-one in the space had any special sight, since anyone in the room would be able to see her here. There wasn't any real time to think about that. Of the other three cubicles, only one was currently unoccupied and Lyntael twisted around to let herself back down again into its relative safety as quietly as she could. She looked to the terminal as she got her feet back on safe ground; still not right, but it was enough to guess the layout of the other nodes. Everything was under control. She took a slow breath and tried to put the mission-inappropriate thoughts and feelings out of her mind. Node NCC-SS-14-7. If the nodes were laid out sensibly, then it should be... She tried to count across the cubicle aisles and up the length of the room. That one. Easy. Another short breath as she set her shoulders and crept out into the thoroughfares again.
She tried to set the thoughts aside and braced herself, then began to walk slowly, carefully, out into the office room, taking one near breathless step at a time while around her, the sound of other navigators working, unaware, filled her ears far more loudly than it probably was. Another navi stood from their station and walked out into the thoroughfare, moving in her direction. They looked up from their data pad, seemingly straight into her own eyes, but then looked down again as they kept walking. Lyntael felt her breath catch, but then shuffled quickly to one side, pressing herself against the nearby cubicle wall to let the other navi pass by inches from her. She had no idea what would happen if any of them actually touched her, like this, and it would probably be a bad idea to test it.
She stayed where she was for an extra moment, leaning on the divide. The other navis, she noticed, didn't seem exposed, not in the way she was. Like her, their outer cosmetic clothing was marked as coloured, transparent wireframe meshes, but for the others that stopped at their undersuites, which were fully opaque. She couldn't think of any reason why, but it certainly didn't feel fair... not when her own underwear didn't enjoy the same benefit. Another quick glance down at herself gave her a fresh desire to cover her delicate places with her hands, but she resisted the urge; she needed to focus.
Rogan's dive tugged her this way and that through the office environment, and Lyntael followed after. She found herself glancing down at her own body every few moments, and then back across to whichever of the other navigators she was passing closest to; each little check brought a spike of nerves and excitement, and an odd, incredulous feeling about what she was doing. It wouldn't go away, and every time she caught herself checking and confirming it, the sensation grew stronger. The fiery blush hadn't calmed, and indeed she could feel the heat of it in her cheeks and down her neck, and see it across the top of her chest as well now.
“Lyntael,”
“Ah!” Rogan's voice came to her quietly, and snapped her out of her other thoughts with a startled squeak. She clapped hands over her mouth as a navi to her left lifted his head and cocked on ear to the side. She scurried on a few paces and ducked into one of the small cubicles that was currently empty. “Yes! Sir, sorry, here!” She whispered and gently pressed one hand to her chest, trying to clam her racing heart.
“...Is something the matter, Lyntael?” Did he sound amused? No, it couldn't be that, she was imagining it. Wasn't she? She felt a small shudder pass through her.
“No, sir, I'm fine. I think the navis here might still be able to... ah... detect me, if I make too much noise or move things around.”
“Understood. Try to avoid that, but I need you to check something. In the space you're in now, there should be a number of access terminals; find NCC-SS-14-7. If it's manned, I need you to find out as much as you can about the navigator currently working it.” Lyntael nodded, then murmured a short affirmative. At some point, her hand had shifted across from the centre of her chest, to one side, gripping harder, and she blinked down at it before pulling the hand away. Focus.
After another moment, she stood, closing her eyes and taking an extra second to brush down her skirt and straighten her vest; it was beyond pointless, here, but with her eyes closed it was a momentary reassurance. Alright; she had a task. A quick check of the masking told her everything was stable enough for now and she began to walk slowly around the office space, searching.
There was an almost surreal element to it; the space was busy, and every time she caught sight of herself, in the middle of it all, the swell of confusing sensations pressed at her anew. Each work station was an operating node with its own designation, but most of them were in use and the dividers were unhelpfully devoid of any identifying signs. She turned and darted back to the empty cubicle she'd sheltered in before. Each terminal, she could see through the subnet's data lines, bore a connection that traced out and away to some other location, but it was only when she stood right in front of the work station itself that she could make out the identifying designate coded into the data stream. It wasn't the right number, but it was a start.
A navi paused at the entrance to the space she was in just as Lyntael turned to leave, skimming through a small data pad before he turned in her direction. The girl bit back a short gasp and drew backwards, then hurriedly pressed herself back further as he walked towards her. There was nowhere to move. Between desperate glances, she felt her behind hit the desk itself and shuffled back onto it, sliding up on one side of the terminal and pulling her legs clear as her unwitting problem lazily reached out to take his seat and slide into position in front of the work station. Lyntael held still for a moment, trying to hold her breath while her skin hummed with nerves, and other parallel sensations. The navi tapped rapidly at the terminal, then glanced to the side, looking right her her, only a handful of inches away. He had to be looking at something on the wall of the cubicle, she was sure of it, but it still felt like his gaze was boring right into her groin, where she could feel traitorously damp fabric rubbing against her with every small shift she desperately tried not to make.
With no real way to climb down from the perch she'd ended up in, Lyntael reached up to grip the sides of the dividing walls and gradually pulled herself up from the space until she could sit on the top where four sections met. She just had to hope that no-one in the space had any special sight, since anyone in the room would be able to see her here. There wasn't any real time to think about that. Of the other three cubicles, only one was currently unoccupied and Lyntael twisted around to let herself back down again into its relative safety as quietly as she could. She looked to the terminal as she got her feet back on safe ground; still not right, but it was enough to guess the layout of the other nodes. Everything was under control. She took a slow breath and tried to put the mission-inappropriate thoughts and feelings out of her mind. Node NCC-SS-14-7. If the nodes were laid out sensibly, then it should be... She tried to count across the cubicle aisles and up the length of the room. That one. Easy. Another short breath as she set her shoulders and crept out into the thoroughfares again.
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For such a secluded and secretive sub station, it certainly felt busy... or maybe it was just her. Lyntael moved as quickly as she dared, but as she wove her way through the intersections between the thoroughfares, the girl found herself having to pause and wait, or push herself to one side, as other navigators moved between different nodes, or lingered to talk to one another in the aisles. More than once, she felt herself brush against one of the figures by accident, and flinched away when the contact seemed to draw a puzzled or curious look from them in turn. None of them appeared to see her, but every time it happened her breath caught and a sharp spike of panic clutched at her before passing.
Despite her best efforts at calming, her heart rate hadn't slowed by the time she made it across the space towards the small cubicle that ought to house the terminal Rogan had requested. Like the others, it was closed off by short dividing walls that she could just about see over while she stood, and held three-sided desk that filled most of the tight area, save for the standing and seating space in the middle. An access terminal took up the forward section, while the bench space on either side was deep enough to hold a average data screen, but little more. This space had precious few points of personality added to it – a small fidget office toy, in one back corner, and an equally small bonsai plant in the other. Near the terminal an opened can of some kind of energy drink, or so she guessed, was the only other sign of occupation. The cubicle itself was empty for now, and Lyntael stepped in with a small sigh of relief. She wasn't sure how interacting with a node here would reflect on the formal network, and it would be much safer searching it with no-one around; she stooped over, bending low to look at the screen as she began to tap at the keys.
The navi assigned to the terminal still had active credentials, so that was helpful; she noted the ID attached to the session and started to search for useful details. She could trace a history of data transmissions, and it seemed like there was money involved as well, but those would probably be picked up by whatever Rogan was diving for directly. He'd asked her to find out about the actual navigator operating the node. She flicked through menus and and functions quickly; every few moments, the display glitched and flicked back to the screen it had been on when she first found it, seemingly split between its state on the main network, and the searching she was doing here.
The sudden sensation of something brushing past her skirt, against her behind and between her thighs made Lyntael start and bite back a gasp of shock, then freeze. A hand had reached out to grab the back of the chair, tucked neatly into its place beneath the desk. It pulled out and she felt an uncomfortable tugging sensation that almost overbalanced her as it pushed hard against her legs for a moment, then flickered though. She looked back over her shoulder, barely daring to move. A navigator stood near the entrance to the cubicle, barely a foot away, looking down with a curious expression at the chair still in his hand.
He wore a white undersuit, but she could see the wire frame of blue and yellow augments and decorations variously about his form, too. He shook his head and rubbed at his eyes for a moment, then looked up towards her, or probably towards his workspace she reasoned, as he stepped around the chair, twisting it with him as though to sit down. Before she could react, though, the other navi paused mid step; he only half covered a surprised sound and Lyntael felt panic rise. She tried to straighten up and turn away, moving one hand to cover herself just in case, but the navi coughed and cleared his throat, then paused to lean on the side desk, still turning the back of the chair in one hand. He lifted one hand to his ear.
“Y-yeah - yes, I'm here...” He looked down at the chair, then up towards the terminal; she felt like his eyes were passing over her, but he hadn't made a move yet. He sounded nervous. Lyntael dared to let herself breath slowly, staring at him, wide-eyed. The navi continued to talk quietly, while his eyes roved. “What is it, you know you shouldn't contact me while I'm on shift...” It wasn't her he was talking to. Lyntael felt a surge of relief. He'd have said something, called out, or spoken to her, if he'd seen her, surely. It was just a call. She edged forward again carefully, moving back towards the terminal; turning away from the navi at least made it safe to lower the hand from her chest – she needed them both to search. As she stooped to being working at the keys again, she heard the navi cough and clear his throat, and froze still.
“Um, yes, yeah, sure. I'll be working here for at least another hour. No, no-one else is going to come here or replace me before then...” She dared a glance back at the navi; he was looking towards her, at the screen she supposed, though it did feel like his eyes moved up to her face as she moved her head, before sliding away again. Was she imagining that? She had to be; there was no way he'd just let her stand here and examine his terminal if he knew she was here. She looked back to the screen herself and started working again, clicking at the keys carefully and now, as quietly and softly as she could too. The terminal continued to flicker every few moments between different views, but there wasn't anything she could do about that.
She paused again as the chair behind her creaked, but it was just the other navi shifting to sit, still with to fingers to his ear; he had his back to the entrance and was staring right through her now, at the screen. Lyntael closed her eyes and swallowed; the position now meant he would be getting a full view of... everything, more or less, if he could see her, but she pressed on; he hadn't made the shift deliberately; it was coincidence, it had to be. Why couldn't she put these details out of her mind and focus? She began to search for messages or other communications that would tell her more, pausing every few movements as the static on the screen flickered back and forth.
“Um, ah, yeah... Yeah, this node is on the fritz, uh, again... yeah. It's probably nothing though. Network fluctuations, I think. Just have to wait it out, probably, could take a while.” She kept working, more quickly now. The comment was convenient news for her. Very convenient, a treacherous part of her mind murmured. She shook her head; that was ridiculous. A ridiculous thought. A ridiculous thought that took hold of her heartbeat, and squeezed the bellows against the heat in her groin again. Unconsciously, she let her hips begin to sway ever so slightly back and forth as she searched. Maybe not so unconsciously... but it wasn't like it meant anything; it was just being silly where no-one could see. Behind her, the navi continued to talk quietly about innocuous things, though he sounded like his answers took too long and his train of thought rambled. It was odd for someone who wasn't supposed to be taking calls. Lyntael felt her body shudder and tried to push the thought away; it wouldn't go.
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She forced her attention back to her work; there were some transmissions, though few names – most only used handles, rather than designates, but they were still worth taking note of. What Rogan really wanted was a name for the navi. The navi that was right here with her, in fact... a pity he didn't have a name badge. She glanced back over her shoulder; the navi was still watching her; his eyes slid left to right as her hips swayed. It could have been the text scrolling across the screen though. It was probably that, wasn't it? Lyntael bit her lip, then looked back to the screen.
“It's so fun, knowing no one can see me...” she breathed the words, almost as a whisper, but loud enough if it were to matter. “But if I can't find out his name, I can't do anything else...” She held her breath, still absently tapping at the keys and looking forward while she arched up on her toes slightly and listened to the other navi's rambling conversation.
“...Yeah, I know what you mean, man... I know... ahh, jeeze... nah, don't worry about that. They don't call me CrossShiftMan for nothing, after all, right? I can handle it.” For a moment, Lyntael felt like her heart had stopped and her breath caught in her chest. Could be coincidence. Could be. Her legs trembled and she tried to breath. If it wasn't, and she panicked now, that would be trouble. Oh light, what had she ended up in? She took a longer breath and tried to keep calm, despite the sudden flare of heat in her body.
In the moment of uncertainty, Lyntael had stilled completely, hands still on the terminal. The chair behind her creaked and she glanced back in time to see the navi lean forward and reach out towards... something. It was a quick motion, despite how lazy it looked, as he reached forward to tap the keys on the terminal a few times himself; his hand brushed under her skirt again, in the process, and this time slid more firmly, with pressure, against her undercarriage; Lyntael gasped and flinched, rising up on her toes to move herself away from the sensation. After a few quick key taps, the navi sat back again, though he relaxed much closer to her now.
“Hmm? No, still being a bit loopy. Looks like I've got a bit more free time. You get paid either way.” He chuckled softly before continuing into more rambling chat and Lyntael tried to work moisture back into her mouth and throat. She could feel her underwear sticking to her and... her teeth clenched; for a moment she'd forgotten that her skirt and underwear weren't even hiding anything to begin with. One coincidence was just one coincidence, wasn't it? One part of her mind wondered who she was trying to convince.
Information. She had a name, what else could she get? Her fingers got back to work, searching. The node mostly saw traffic related to real-world product shipments and exchanges, to do with the small business that they'd entered through before, but the funds definitely didn't match up – that would probably be a part of what Rogan was looking into. What else could she learn about the navi himself? Nothing useful beyond the name, no doubt, except... did she dare test the coincidence? Lyntael already knew the answer before the thought finished. She paused in her searching and took a moment to stretch a little. At the end of the motion, she rested one hand on the bench beside the terminal, but reached down with the other, pressing her fingers to the damp heat that hummed there; she could feel the electric buzz suffusing her skin, and was sure the signs of it were showing over the rest of her body too, given how worked up she already felt, but she resisted the urge to rub or grind – instead she laid her fingers flat, covering herself from any coincidental views as she hummed to herself.
“Oh gosh...” She breathed the words and took another, louder breath. “I can't get too excited, I've still got work to do. I can't seem to find anything here... if only I could work out who his operator was, that might be enough to go a little further on...”
“James!” Lyntael felt her toes curl and her muscles tighten as she fought off the sudden spike of excitement that came from the navi's sudden outburst. She had to clench her teeth to prevent a groan of very indecent sound escaping her lips. The navi recovered quickly, though, coughing. “You... you can't say things like that, James! If anyone heard you talking about – James Caldriego, I swear, you're going to get us both killed if anyone catches you saying things like that! I'm serious!” The navi seemed to pause his 'conversation', and Lyntael felt her hand tremble. Slowly, breathless, she took the hand away again and returned both to the keys of the terminal. This was too much; one part of her was definitely not comfortable with this. Another part of her was barely containing its excitement at the situation. This was... wrong... and dangerous... but she was getting the information she wanted. How far could she stretch this plausible deniability? She swallowed and her skin danced with skittering light. It was stretched too far already. How long had it been since Rogan checked on her progress? She'd lost track. The mask was still in place and stable, at least. She made a few more adjustments to the terminal before her. What more was there to learn?
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As she looked for anything else worth remembering, barely focused on the screen in front of her, Lyntael glanced back around in time to see the other navigator reaching towards her again with his free hand. His palm was up, fingers reaching and it definitely wasn't a motion that could be directed at the terminal she was stooped in front of. With a small gasp of breath, Lyntael twisted away, spinning herself to one side and backing off to sit on the desk beside the terminal, legs neatly together. She folded her arms, but it wasn't really enough to cover her chest in a way that looked incidental or natural. Small sparks cracked in her hair, fuelled by the rush of sudden danger, but by the time she looked back towards the other navi, she could see that he was just stretching. Probably.
“Whew... that was close,” she heard herself murmur the words, grasping at them almost as quickly as her mind could supply. She looked towards the navi, but only in an unfocused way, avoiding his face. “Can't let him touch me properly, that would give me away for sure, and then I'd have to pull out immediately... can't have that...” Her own voice sounded breathless and on the verge of something indecent, and she knew it would be a lie to pretend she was just putting it on. She felt tense, tight, and like she was on fire. The navi had relaxed and continued with his 'phone call' now, idly looking around his work space... though perhaps his gaze moved to the side she was sitting on far more frequently. She had one question she wanted to ask – the node itself had been fruitless other than to show her what was missing. One more risk, maybe... oh light, she could smell her own scent now. Was that something that would cross the layers too? The though supplied another spike of excitement and embarrassment. She had to try it though... just push, just for one more coincidence. She let her arms fall, then stretched them out and carefully let her knees slip further apart, bit by bit, as she settled.
“It's so distracting... I've got to work... but it's so naughty; so close and no-one knows,” she let herself add a short, breathless giggle to the line, then leaned back, reclining a little. This was terrible, and wrong. The part of her that was uncomfortable with what she was doing was drowned by the the rushing beat of blood pushing in her body and fuelling the fires of her blushing and sparking skin. She bit her lip, more visibly this time, and let herself look towards the other navi. His conversation had ambled to a distracted silence again. Now or never... cheeks burning, she relaxed into her stretch and slid her knees apart further, but in the same motion let one hand drop to the desk between her thighs, rucking up the front of her skirt and drawing her palm and fingers close against her heat, covering everything important from sight. She could feel the pulse of her heart beat, throbbing through the soaked fabric and hot flesh beneath her fingers and the realisation made her stifle another small groan, just barely.
“Ugh... I've got to work, but it might be okay to have a little fun... just while no-one is looking... maybe just a bit...” She held still, then shook her head. “No, I've got to find out first. I've just got to work out where all that money goes, when it disappears off the grid.” She sighed, but the feigned difficulty she had fighting off the urge to grind her hips forward against the heel of her hand was far too real. She gave it an extra moment, but through lidded eyes she caught sight of a pained, conflicted expression on her target. He was staring right towards her now, but winced and half looked away as he put his hand back to his ear.
“No, I swear I couldn't say, James... listen man, I- I don't like it any more than you, but I really couldn't say.” He watched her from the side of his vision, his expression tormented. All or nothing. Lyntael moved her hand, drawing her fingers up and parting them to either side as she pressed on the fabric. Unbidden, a soft moan slipped between her lips before she could stop it this time and she couldn't stop herself from pushing her hips up against the pressure for an extra moment either. It took willpower to stop and cross her legs, and she kept her hand pinned in place as she did. The groan of deprivation as she did wasn't an act.
“Damnit... I've got to focus. I just want to play, but...” She groaned softly again, eyes open just barely enough to keep watch on the navi.
“I-I can... um...” She could hear an edge of unthinking desperation from the other navi. He moved suddenly, sliding his chair across to the terminal and bringing up a bland document. “Yeah, give me a sec James... Let me just.. just get that down!” After a second or two of furious typing, he lifted his hands and pushed away from the terminal. “Okay, I got it. Can't say what good it'll do, but I wrote it down.” Lyntael took her cue, slipping off the bench and sliding in front of the screen. She stooped slightly to read what he'd typed, and reached down to brush her fingertips over the fabric of her underwear as she did. She really didn't want to touch herself properly and honestly for a stranger to see, but some part of her still felt like there was a deal here, and brushing the fabric again was an... acceptable concession. The text was a network addressed, including masking details, as well as a name – a human name by the look of it.
She began to copy the details into a data string of her own, but as she did she heard the other navi inhale deeply. He hadn't really pushed back that far from her, and now leaned in, his head uncomfortably close to her heat. She grit her teeth and quickly finished copying the information, then straightened. With a swift motion, Lyntael raised one leg and gracefully twisted herself out of the gap she'd nearly been pinned into. That was quite enough of that. The navi reached towards her but she darted away to the opposite corner.
“This is so much fun,” she mused as though to herself. “I'm really glad no-one saw me...” she giggled, the ducked out of the cubicle and away as swiftly as she could. A quick look back told her the navi hadn't followed.
“Sir,” she crouched by the entry to a different cubicle as she spoke to Rogan. “I got what you wanted, sir, but I think someone here can see me, I don't think I can stay.” She glanced around again, looking for sign of any other navigators noticing her. Rogan's answer was immediate.
“Good. We're done here, I'm pulling you out.” She barely had time to respond before the emulated light beam extracted her.
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((Lyntael, Branch back => Covert Reconnaissance))