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Cheshire stifled a gasp, watching Phero suddenly immerse herself in the hot water -- and had to fight to properly stifle a laugh as she resurfaced, sputtering and choking. "Top marks for enthusiasm, but... you don't have to dunk yourself to properly enjoy the bath, yeah?" She seemed to have regained most of her composure; hot water might not have been the usual remedy for a problem like Cheshire's, but it was tough to stay agitated when you were relaxing in it almost up to your neck. So while it didn't do much to cure the "hot" part, she was at least feeling a great deal less "bothered".

"What's your op like, anyway? I don't have a whole lot of experience with business types." She pushed off from the wall, wading a ways toward Phero before the concave shape of the bath receded far enough that she had to float. "My sister handles most of the PR stuff... Really, most humans just bug me." Of course, someone as energetic as Cheshire was hardly content to just float; the bath was practically a small pool, after all. So as she drew near, she suddenly darted forward in the water and circled around Phero with unusual speed, given the otherwise leisurely atmosphere of the bath. "And what's the lab like? Don't you already have, like, chemical baths there?" She submerged suddenly, putting a brief end to the stream of questions...

... and erupted from the water behind her guest, throwing her arms around her shoulders from behind. "I'm kind of curious how they compare to this one. Let's go there sometime together! Call it corporate research!" The woman smiled sweetly, giving Phero a playful squeeze. There didn't seem to be any mischief on her mind for the time being -- at least, her hands were placed innocently enough.

"Dharma's... a person I'd like some time away from," Phero answered, allowing herself to submerge even her mouth into the water. Without realizing it, she made silly bubbles with her lips; they floated to the top as she pondered what else to say. Her answer wasn't really complete, but even thinking about Dharma while she was supposed to be enjoying her time off spoiled her mood. Slowly, she revealed her face again to continue speaking. "From what I've read from my basic biology education, she's like an infant. She craves attention but then rejects it when she gets it... She's needy, but won't let herself be helped by anyone... She puts huge expectations on others-"

Realizing that she'd begun to ramble, Phero shook her head and shut up. "Well, I'm interested to hear that you don't like humans. Everyone I've met... Really, everyone! I've enjoyed the company of every single human and navi I've met that is not Dharma," she pouted, resting her bare buttocks onto the seat behind her as she continued. Thankfully, Cheshire had more to talk about and was also giving her some necessary skinship, helping her forget about her operator.

"Chemical baths are actually very, very nasty. It's sort of like... imagine this, except all around you, there's unidentifiable, sticky liquid with unnatural colors like green or purple... and then they dump more of it on you slowly from a vat or spray it onto you while you soak in it..." she shuddered. "It might not be so bad if it was just water, but there's a sting involved and it leaves you sticky too... It opens my pores so that I can release pheromones, as well as other vital functions..."

Really, this topic didn't turn out to be a lot better than the previous. "Oh! What about your operator, Cheshire? Why does she own so many wonderful baths?" Phero asked, turning her head slightly, but only managing enough to see her friend's tattooed upper left arm.

"Sounds like a lot of the humans I've met, actually." Cheshire settled back on the ledge behind Phero, sitting with her legs out to the side to allow her friend some room. "They're just... I dunno. A lot of them seem so focussed on the silliest, most worthless things. I guess a lot of navis are the same way, though." Her hands slipped lower, crossing comfortably just beneath Phero's chest. Cheshire smiled faintly to herself; baths were definitely nicer when you had someone to share them with. She'd never considered herself much of a listener, but having a warm body nestled against her went a long way.

"Really?" The woman tilted her head incredulously. "That sounds awful... Buuut!" She leaned in closer, nuzzling her cheek against Phero's. "If you need somewhere to wash it off, it's... nice having you here. I think I like you." Those last few words came out in little more than a murmur, nearly inaudible if Phero hadn't been so close. The navi seemed almost lost in though as she rested her cheek against Phero's hair. It wasn't until Phero piped up with another question that she opened her eyes again.

"Oh, my sister doesn't own the place," she murmured, feeling decidedly mellow at the moment. "This scary old lady runs Tonglen. Me and Iris, we just work here. I guess we're pretty important, but she's the one calling the shots." One hand trailed down to Phero's hip, slender fingers absently tracing random shapes over her skin. "I'm not really sure how my sister came here. I... lost track of her for a while, before she found me again. She's --" Cheshire paused. "I guess we're pretty much all each other has. I guess that sounds kind of pathetic, huh?"

"Your... sister? You have a sister who lives outside the net? How is that possible?" Phero asked, watching the water where she assumed Cheshire's hand to be. It felt a bit alien to her, knowing the sensation of being touched, but being unable to actually see the action taking place. That property of hiding things from view was something she'd never really considered about water before or had a chance to be taught. "Well, I'm glad you like me, Cheshire. I like you a lot, too!"

"I don't think it sounds pathetic at all, really," Phero answered, keeping her body awkwardly still while letting Cheshire explore it. "From my understanding of a navi, we're mostly created as tools to accomplish specific functions for our operators. As such, it's not natural for us to own possessions, seek employment or companionship, or set our own goals... even if we might want to," she sighed. Unintentionally, she began to build up her own sob story while simply speaking the truth. "I don't really have anything or anyone that I could call 'mine.' Except for my new friends, of course, like you," she added.

Phero pressed one hand to her chin thoughtfully, relaxing her body slightly so that the curve of her backside rested lightly against her partner's body beneath the water. "It would be wonderful if Dharma could eventually become someone I could call a friend... We spend so much time together, but we both hate each other's company. How much nicer the average day would be if we were friends..." she mused. "I wonder if she's enjoying her bath right now. Do you think she's had the opportunity to meet your sister?"

"No, she's human. We're not related or anything weird like that. It's just... we've been together for so long that it kind of felt natural." Her hand had stopped its restless movements; her palm lay flat on Phero's hip instead. "I guess we adopted each other, if that makes sense." Cheshire paused, turning Phero's words over in her mind. She... liked her? The statement stuck out at her -- which in itself struck her as odd. The two of them had been really intimate with each other, even before coming to the bathhouse... so why did hearing her say it feel so nice?

She nodded softly at Phero's words. "Mm... A lot of navis seem to live like that. It's like they don't even mind it. But this place..." her fingers slowly kneaded Phero's soft skin, the woman herself too distracted to realize she was doing it. "I think maybe, deep down, all navis kind of wish they had what humans do. And places like this, they let them pretend for a little while that it's true."

"As for your op." The water in the bath rippled as Cheshire slipped out from behind Phero. She took the girl softly by the shoulders as she waded onto the ledge in front of her partner, straddling her outstretched legs. The curve of her upper back and the swell of her chest stood out above the water's surface, shining with moisture. "You're a very easy girl to like... Just keep working at it, yeah? She must be crazy, to think she hates your company." She pulled her partner closer, her hands slipping around her back and drawing her in for an embrace -- although, with Cheshire kneeling and Phero sitting, they weren't exactly level. "Don't worry about her -- I made sure Iris'd be the one to take care of her. She might seem chilly, but she's scary good when you give her something to do."

"Maybe Dharma and I just need more time together to understand each other," Phero laughed, trying to imagine an optimistic future in which she and the company president got along like sisters. "I'm glad you understand, though... about wanting to feel human. Living like a tool really is terrible... The only thing worse is living as a tool with no gratitude," she sighed, feeling increasingly depressed. "Allowing me on this vacation is the first nice thing she's ever done for me. Well, the second, counting creating me."

As Cheshire navigated around her and continued encouraging her, Phero brightened up a bit. When she'd first met Cheshire, she recalled that she'd been pretty clingy herself, thanks to the glitches. Since then, her cat-eared friend had been hugging and caressing her a lot (both familiar motions that were beginning to become favorites of Phero's), but Phero hadn't done much in return. She wrapped her own arms around the tattooed navi's slender waist, drawing her friend's athletic and dark body into her own contrastingly soft and light form.

"Thanks for doing all of this for me, Cheshire. I'll make friends with Dharma and we'll remodel the laboratory to be nicer; then you can come over to my place and I can repay you for today," she sighed happily, giving her friend another warm and genuine smile as her pink hair brushed against the feline navi's silver.

"See? That's a start, isn't it?" Cheshire smiled brightly, running her hand through Phero's damp hair. "Some people just take a while... When you're alone for a long time, it becomes second nature, you know? You decide you're too comfortable being alone to let anyone change that." Cheshire could perhaps testify to that more personally than a lot of other navis. Her good mood felt nearly indomitable right now, though, and if the thought brought back any bad memories they didn't seem to show in her expression. "You can chip away at her eventually."

A questioning sound rose from her throat as she felt Phero's arms slipping around her waist below the water's surface. It felt as if most of the physical contact between them had come as simply part of the bathing preparations, with the touchy-feely stuff kept to whatever Cheshire could sneak in herself. Having the girl move on her own to take her in her arms and pull her closer felt strange, but there was no denying how nice it felt.

"Hey." Her tail drifted slowly to one side beneath the water, coming to rest as it wrapped itself around the girls' joined waists. What was this about repaying her? Cheshire certainly didn't feel like she'd gone out of her way for Phero's sake. She noted, with a bit of guilt, that she'd spent much of their time together thinking of her own pleasure. If anything, she had to repay Phero. "Don't worry about, it, yeah? Just so long as we can get together again sometime." She leaned in smoothly, a smile in her eyes as she placed a soft peck on Phero's lips. "There's a lot I still need to teach you."

"I'll try not to worry about it," Phero replied with a smile, although she doubted she'd have much success. The president didn't make it very easy to forget about her presence in her navi's life. "But you're right; just getting to spend time with you as been a treat. I'll see if I can get Dharma to let me have some more time off. Although, not too much, or she'll get annoyed and-"

The perfume dispensing navi paused as she realized that for a while now, she'd been unconsciously dispensing a lot of perfume. The sweet smell of the stock chemical now permeated the room just as thoroughly as did the steam from their bath. "Hm. I think I may suggest to Dharma that we lessen the length of the chemical bathing period. I'm dispensing more pheromone than I realized," she murmured, rising up from the bath and looking slightly embarrassed. For her, the release indicated a severe lack of bodily control, so she was worried that Cheshire might take offense if she noticed.

"I think we've had a nice bath now. I should probably get dressed back so that I can report to Phillip," she mentioned, slowly rising out of the water so as not to create a lot of noise.

"Is that what that is?" Cheshire slipped up onto the rim of the tub, sitting comfortably with one leg crossed over the other. She regarded her guest with an enigmatic smile as she rose from the water. "I'm going to have to tease you like this more often... The whole room smells wonderful." While she was a little sad that their time together was drawing to a close, she felt strangely proud, in a way; she wasn't used to entertaining guests, and on the whole she felt like it had gone pretty well. She turned, throwing her legs over the other side of the rim and standing along with her friend. "Next time, I'll see just how much I can coax out of you," she promised with a suggestive wink, skipping cheerfully back into the room proper.

"Let's see here..." A trail of wet footprints followed her across the carpets to the folding screen at the far end of the room. There was the brief sound of rustling cloth before Cheshire re-emerged, a large white towel draped over her shoulders and obscuring her chest. "Catch!" she commanded, passing another folded towel to Phero with a powerful overhand swing. She didn't stay to watch whether her friend caught it -- she seemed preoccupied by something else. She merrily disappeared behind the folding curtain again, the cloth rustle returning in spades.

"Aha! Found one!" Cheshire skipped back out as quickly as she had ducked behind, half-wearing her orange yukata from before. It scarcely did much more than the towel had -- she had neglected to tie the obi at the waist, leaving it gaping open rather indecently. It billowed out impressively behind her as she crossed toward Phero, presenting a lavender-coloured bundle of cloth with both hands. "Try this, yeah? We'll be here forever if we try to get you back into that armour." The lightly dyed cloth was, as it happened, another yukata -- tailored for Cheshire, of course, but the two girls' builds were similar enough that the navi didn't think it would be too much trouble.

"You like the odor? Dharma chose this chemical for my basic stock because the smell is not offensive and there are no known side-effects," Phero replied with a smile, not catching the innuendo Cheshire had thrown in. In direct contrast with the pink-haired navi's deliberate slowness, Cheshire hopped out of the bath and bounded merrily away, leaving Phero standing naked just outside of the tub. She shivered and raised her eyebrows curiously as her friend re-emerged with a warm towel, then grabbed it clumsily mid-air once it was tossed to her.

Going along with her usual monkey-see, monkey-do behavior, Phero draped the towel across her shoulders. She found that it didn't do as much to combat the chill as she'd hoped; experimentally, she pulled it off and rubbed her body down with it. Finding that worked a little bit better, she continued to do so until Cheshire reemerged yet again, this time wearing another equally indecent outfit. Again, Phero took up the cloth, at first hanging it stringing it over just her shoulders again before realizing how it was supposed to be worn (well, how it was supposed to be worn according to Cheshire).

"Thank you again, friend," she smiled to Cheshire, allowing the garment to hang loosely. "I wonder why Dharma never considered how hard it would be to slip on and off that armor...?"

Cheshire wrapped her yukata more closely around herself, her shoulders offering only a distracted shrug as she fiddled with the long cloth belt. "Maybe she just didn't think of it. You were designed for testing, right? They probably figured you wouldn't need to undress to do that. Oh, lemme take care of that." Giving up on her own belt for the time, she instead wrapped it behind her neck and stepped in closer to Phero. She couldn't very well report in to what's-his-name with her dress hanging open like that, now could she?

She took the loose garment by either open end near Phero's chest, easily wrapping them around the girl with a look of focus -- first the right, then the left. "You're not supposed to wrap it the other way around 'less you're dead," Cheshire remarked with a sage nod. "Now, hold it like that for a sec..." Trusting Phero to hold the yukata closed, she took the slender magenta belt in hand and slipped it around the girl's waist, holding it comfortably in place. With that in place, she slipped over behind Phero and tied it at the hip with a simple bow.

"Not the most formal, but... I never got the hang of obis." She hurriedly wrapped her own yukata, tying it at the waist with its own belt of white cloth. "'Course, there are GMOs, but this is an old-fashioned place, y'know?" The woman crossed her arms and flashed her friend a bright grin. "So who's this Philip guy you mentioned?"

"Thank you, Cheshire. I wouldn't want Phillip to think I was dead. He'd be terribly shocked," Phero replied, crossing her arms across her chest in imitation of her friend. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to, but it seemed safe to keep mimicking Cheshire's etiquette. "Phillip is one of the lead researchers who worked both on creating me and readying many of the compounds that I'm designed to distribute. He's paid well by Heart-Payne Pharmaceuticals, I hear, but Dharma still talks as though she could replace him at any time..."

She walked over to where she'd dropped her armor and suit earlier, folding the latter over the former and picking up the newly covered shell with both arms. "Phillip was sort of like a father figure to me, since he's one of the first humans I interacted with. To this date, I've probably still interacted more with him than I have with Dharma, even though I'm her navi. He's reliable, but at the same time, he's easily kept at arm's length by the president; she doesn't like him or any of the other researchers growing attached to me," the pink-haired navi further explained. "I guess I'm lucky to still have him around, even if we don't get to talk that often."

"Oh, and he's got a compulsive cough that arises when he's surprised or excited. Dharma often tricks me into making him cough," she sighed. "That can't be good for his health..."

"He sounds..." Cheshire fought for the right word, absently brushing her still-damp hair out of her eyes. "Well, he sounds nice, at least. Really reliable people are kind of tough to come by. If your op really wants to replace someone like that, she'd better be ready to go hunting!" While this was, all things considered, a pretty grim view of human nature, the navi didn't seem any less high-spirited for it.

"Must be nice, having something like a father. Me, I just..." She trailed off, suddenly looking very thoughtful about something. It didn't last for too long; the woman gave a short shrug and met Phero's eyes again with whatever internal dialogue she had been having resolved for the time being. "As far as I can remember, I just kind of happened. Until I met my sister, I didn't really know anybody for very long. Mostly viruses, even then." If there was one thing you could say of Cheshire, it was that she wasn't one to dwell on things -- this, too, was delivered in a merry conversational tone. Honestly, she was finding it tough to be in a bad mood with Phero around.

Her bare feet sank into the thick shag of a particularly colourful round rug as she crossed toward the door. Beneath the yukata her tail coiled around her left thigh with a practiced sort of dexterity, getting it out of the way of the skirt and keeping the cloth from tenting at her back. "D'you think you have time to eat? They should have everything sorted out down there now."

"That's a shame, Cheshire. Although, I guess there's no reason it has to be family that one surrounds oneself with. After all, all of my favorite people are new friends I've met, right here on the net!" Phero proclaimed, keeping her own smile painted on. "And yes, food ought to be interesting. Much like bathing, eating is something I've never had the pleasure to experience," she affirmed.

Phero followed Cheshire back to the dining hall, giving little thought to her manner of dress, which occasionally fluttered to allow a glimpse of her bare shins. Hanging around Cheshire was beginning to make her wonder why navis bothered to dress at all, with how comfortable nudity seemed. "I'll call Phillip over, just to let him know how we're doing. Let's see... this ought to set off the PET's alarm," she murmured as she walked alongside her partner.

Back at Beach Street, aboard Dharma's yacht, a terrible theft alarm went off rather than the waking alarm the navi had been trying to activate. Busting into a terrible cough, Phillip scampered across the deck to see who was stealing the president's PET, only to find it untouched. He deactivated the alarm, then checked Phero's status; as he did, he found the navi in question waving to him. "Phero, you seem to be doing well. Why did you activate the alarm?" he asked, speaking through the handkerchief he was using to cover his mouth in case of another cough.

"I just wanted to let you know that everything's going fine. Cheshire and I are about to eat together," she informed him with an apologetic smile.

"I see. So you already bathed, then?" he asked, wiping his mouth and then putting away the cloth.

"Yes! Cheshire and I hugged some more in the bath and learned a lot about each other. We found out new things about me that I myself didn't know... and I'm gaining a deep understanding of her as well. I'd like to try to be friends with the president just like I am with Cheshire," Phero commented, keeping the same smile but blushing slightly as she discussed her friendship. Another coughing fit broke out on the other side of the PET, this one stronger than the last. "Are you okay? Lead researcher?" Something happened on the other side of the PET to alleviate her worry, so she closed the link. "Phillip's fine."

"See, that's the spirit!" Cheshire cheered, unaware that the girl was trying to make contact until the elevator started its descent. She folded her hands behind her back, trying at least to appear patient. It was far from one of her strong suits -- besides, this Philip sounded like he'd be pretty fun to mess with. The temptation to interrupt Phero just for the sake of causing this stranger grief was definitely there -- but as the girl's account of things went on, Cheshire found herself admitting that her input probably wasn't required. Her cheeks flushed slightly just listening to it; she didn't envy this other person if he was so prone to overexcitement as Phero had made it seem.

The doors slid open once more to admit the low, warm echo of friendly conversation. "Is he? I feel kind of bad for him, sitting around doing nothing while his boss is havin' a bath..." She led on down the hallway, the murmur growing louder until the two made their way into the restaurant proper where it sounded as if it were reverberating from the walls themselves. "Then again, only the one bath was still open. Him and your op aren't that close, are they?" The vast room was laid out much the same as it had been when they passed through earlier, but the addition of so many dining guests had transformed the atmosphere of the place entirely. The red-skinned navi from earlier had taken his position at the great flat grill in the center of the hall, and gave the two a curt nod as they caught his eye. Cheshire waved back brightly on her way to an unoccupied booth in the corner.

"That's Tenzo!" She scooted onto the richly upholstered seat, her elbows immediately finding the polished wooden surface of the table with blatant disregard for proper manners. "Doesn't talk much, but he's alright. Damn good cook!" Two austere leather-bound menus were all that decorated the table in terms of place settings. Cheshire, naturally, didn't need hers -- if Phero decided to have a look, though, she'd find it absolutely stuffed with various kinds of Japanese and Indian cuisine.

Phero couldn't help laughing, covering her mouth so as not to draw too much attention on top of her already standout appearance, attributable to her tourist-like, constant stare and vibrantly pink hair. "Phillip and the president? Imagining them in the tub together like we were is quite an image," she giggled, trying to decide which side of the equation seemed less likely to her. "Ah, but maybe they should! With how nice our bath was, I can't see why they wouldn't both enjoy it. Maybe I should recommend it to them whenever they're together?"

With a funny feeling of excitement, Phero realized that the place she was in was probably the first time she'd ever been in a gathering quite so large. She couldn't help waving back at Tenzo, even though she didn't know him. Smiling, she followed Cheshire... she was interested in the food, but more interested in learning as much as she could about all of the people around as possible. She didn't really understand the concept of a menu, so she simply continued to think about all of the people around her while she ought to be deciding her order.

"Tell me about Tenzo! Have you ever taken a bath with him before?" she asked, peeking back at their subject of discussion over her shoulder. "Is there anyone else you know in here?"

"Oh? Phero, what kind of girl do you take me for?" she teased, her lips curling into a lurid smile. "I don't share a bath with just anyone... Only the really cute ones." Her hand slipped innocuously onto the girl's lap, fingers flexing for just a second against the smooth cotton. She held this rather intimate position even as her eyes scanned the hall for familiar faces, the woman once again demonstrating her lack of concern for personal space. "'sides, that's not his thing. Lessee..." Tenzo's was the only one who she could really remember, despite her keen eye -- she didn't make a habit of chatting with the staff.

All the same, it wasn't long before a waiter in something close to feudal-era formalwear caught the woman's eye and, misinterpreting things entirely, rushed over to take the pair's orders. "Good evening, madames! Are you ready to order?"

"Oh! Uh." Cheshire surreptitiously slipped her hand from Phero's thigh. Something like a shade of embarrassment could be seen on her face, although it quickly vanished beneath a practiced easy grin. "Think my friend still needs some time. In the meantime, though, could you bring us some -- "

"Hm? Cheshire. I thought the staff had been looking a little on edge tonight." A smooth, deep voice cut off her words with little difficulty, despite how gently they had been spoken. A slender man with skin so dark it was nearly blue stepped toward the table, the waiter stepping away with a polite (if somewhat hasty) bow. His own robes could scarcely still be called a kimono for all the ornamentation that covered them -- a gold-painted pattern of interlocking snakes nearly obscured by hanging golden chains and bands. Nearly hidden beneath the clinking opulence was a short, wide scabbard tucked into his belt.

"Bheru-ji. A pleasure." Cheshire's smile didn't falter, but the woman seemed to bristle anyway. "I thought you'd be somewhere else."

"Naturally. I am a busy man. I've simply come to check in on a precious employee in the wake of a troubling security breach." His eyes seemed to flash dangerously for just a second. "I hadn't expected to find you with a guest..." His eyes darted over Phero's face with a gentle curiosity. Oh so quietly, Cheshire drew a sharp breath, seeming less and less at ease with the situation. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure, Miss..."

"Really? Well, I'm happy for the compliment, but that upsets my new perspective regarding baths as a tool to foster friendships. Should I also be certain to take baths only with those I find cute? Because I have to say, I don't have terribly developed preferences yet," Phero rambled on, completely failing to notice when their waiter arrived. "At any rate, it sounds like maybe it isn't such a good idea for Phillip and Dharma to have a bath together. I am almost certain that neither of them find each other cute," she sighed, turning to notice the new man who had replaced the servant she'd never managed to acknowledge.

Unfortunately, Phero seemed to be treating him the way Phero treated someone who she wanted out of the room quickly: with mock politeness, unsuccessfully veiling actual animosity. "My name is Phero. Your name is Bheru-ji?" she asked, feeling curious despite the warning undertone in Cheshire's voice. "It's a little difficult to pronounce," she commented; while it was true that the name was more difficult to pronounce than those of some of the other navis she'd met on the net, her words didn't add up, seeing as she'd spoken it perfectly on her first try.

She wanted to ask the newcomer, "so, do you have any advice on bathing?" to continue the train of her thoughts, but realized that he and Cheshire seemed to have some kind of business. Phero reasoned that if the relationship was anything like that of Dharma and her business associates, she'd rather keep out of it altogether.

The man's lips curled in a smile that crinkled the corners of his eyes. Laugh lines were plain on his face now, although guessing at his age was still impossible. "Charmed, Miss Phero." He gave a short, ducking bow before he continued, although his eyes remained on Phero and Cheshire all the while. Cheshire mimicked the motion herself, although her heart clearly wasn't in it. A small muscle worked in her jaw as the man continued.

"I won't keep you two from each other's company any longer -- but, Cheshire, do stop by later. You've impressed Lady Rangan, but not me." He leaned in closer over the table, his sincere-looking smile not so much as faltering. "Miss Phero, Tonglen appreciates your patronage. Enjoy your evening, and see that you get home safely." As he withdrew, his eyes locked to Cheshire's, the cheer fading from his face. "You've chosen odd company. Cheshire normally prefers her food raw."

Turning elegantly, his various ornaments tinkling about him gently, Bheru-ji disappeared into the busy restaurant without another word. Cheshire cleared her throat loudly as if trying to make up for her long silence. "Sorry about that..." She heaved a sigh, seeming to loosen up a bit at last. "Guy runs the place. Thinks he's my boss. Let's eat, yeah?" She hurriedly caught the eye of another waiter, impatient to clear the prior conversation out of the air.

=========

After dinner, Cheshire led to the gates of the bathhouse, grinning with satisfaction. At the threshold she stopped, the two of them caught between the warm air of the bathhouse and the crisp air of the forest. "Hey. Come back anytime, yeah? It's been fun." She wrapped her arms around her friend, giving her a tight squeeze.

Maybe Bheru-Ji was a bit more like Dharma than Phero had originally realized, at least in the sense of being a cold businessman. Well, on the other hand, he couldn't be totally like Dharma... no one could be, right? At least not in public.

Luckily, Phero didn't have a lot of questions to ask about a guy that Cheshire was so obviously adverse to bathing with, so she kept quiet and waited for her meal. Once it came, she barely knew what to do with it, since eating was such a new concept. With Cheshire's help, she managed to figure it all out, as her friend was a rather experienced consumer of food.

--------------

Phero returned her partner's hug gratefully, beaming cheerfully. "This has been the greatest experience of my entire life! Thank you for teaching me about food and baths. I'd like to see if my operator will allow me to indulge in some of these things more often," she concluded. Although she still carried her armor and skinsuit in a wrapped bundle over one shoulder, she apparently had no intention of putting them back on and giving Cheshire her yukata, since that sort of information was far in the back of her mind, along with many general principles of ownership.

"Hugs and kisses... they're simple gestures that have created a great level of intimacy between Cheshire and myself," Phero mused as she returned to Dharma's PET. "The way to forging better relationships is certainly through warm and expressive gestures!"

((Jacking out))