The Shamus Austin Mall-Net

Hyde's mind (or, seemingly, all of her minds) went blank at once as her head became suddenly too full for any thoughts. To widen out her jaw any more than she already was would probably cause it to lock, pain or no pain. As such, if LushLady wanted to get bigger while in the doctor's mouth, she was going to have to deal with a little love bite, as it was going to be impossible to avoid her upper teeth.

Her lower body, meanwhile, was being filled in a way she'd never experienced. In fact, she hadn't even imagined it before, which was quite a feat considering how much dirty thinking this side of her did on a daily basis. She felt that it couldn't possibly go on any longer, that some combination of the continually invading liquid and the pressure of grabbing vines around her was going to force her to pop, or something. She let out a low moan that was transformed into more of a gurgle as the things all around her finally came popping out, allowing the various liquids to come pouring out of her in their unrestrained vulgarity.

Hyde continued to shake helplessly in spurts, even as she was lowered onto the ground in a very undignified position on top of Sleuth. If the detective Navi cared, she would need to act quickly to avoid getting her shoulders and above soaked in further bodily juices. For her own part, the doctor only writhed in place on top of the other. Occasionally, Sleuth would hear her coughing up some of the excess that had been sprayed into her, being simply incapable of swallowing it all.

Her capacity for other thoughts was finally returning to her, but she found herself alarmed to discover that she still felt LushLady's unique heat burning across her body. She'd somehow assumed that, in order to leave the shop, it was simply going to turn off like a switch. Being so disposed, she found herself unable to tear herself from the body of Sleuth below, which was the only thing currently engaging her in physical contact. She found that desire within her wrestling with the knowledge that surely she'd gotten everything she wanted, or indeed, that she could currently handle.

Oddly, she motioned with one hand to get LushLady to bring water to her, perhaps unable to move herself. Assuming she could get something to hydrate her again, the Navi would flop back down on top of her mission partner of the night, making no effort to aid her in getting up. "Sleuth... if you'd like to get up... teach me a lesson... tell me what a dirty woman I am, punish me... or if you're enjoying yourself... sit right there a moment longer, I'll give you something else to drink... hold on just a second!..." Of course, the chances of Sleuth telling Hyde much of anything without first getting something to drink might be scarce.

Hyde felt compelled to do this, but didn't necessarily feel like she had to take it far. Truth be told, a shower was sounding quite good right now. She would wait a second to regain her strength, and also to see if she could cajole another interesting reaction out of her detective friend. She did what she could to crane her head around to view her captive, a messy, sadistic grin across her face.

If Sleuth at least tried to do what she wanted, she'd probably crawl her way off. If Sleuth refused to do what she wanted, she fully intended to sit there and keep releasing on her, as much as she needed to, anyway. She would even edge back, so that what she was doing was more directly on the other Navi's face. Of course, there was always the possibility Sleuth might have enough strength to force her off. Furthermore, if Sleuth indicated any pain or discomfort, Hyde would be compelled to raise herself off at least enough to alleviate it, which would probably allow Sleuth to escape.

Being well-used to all kinds of sexual deviancy, Sleuth would have thought going into this session that she had previous experience with any kind of mischief they might get up to. Experiencing simultaneous release with two other ladies, aided by innumerable, deviously effective tendrils had turned out to be outside of her familiarity, however, and she marveled at the uncanny sensation. The whole room now appeared to be glowing with psychedelic colors; she could barely make out the other two ladies in the haze of color. She was aware of a wonderful hotness that seemed to permeate her entire body, as well as parts of her she was not certain had ever been reached by another partner being poked and prodded by LushLady's tentacles. She was vaguely aware of Casie's voice and had to wonder if the girl was happy with all of this or didn't sometimes feel jealous that she was unable to play around physically with a room full of tentacles, flowers, nectar, and other girls herself.

When the tentacles all came out, a wide, satisfied, utterly stupid smile crept across Sleuth's face; she pressed both hands to her cheeks, not realizing that by doing so, she'd managed to get the gloves, which had remarkably stayed fairly clean in all of this, stained by a combination of saliva, nectar, sap, and whatever sorts of things had dripped out from Hyde... and were still dripping. Sleuth sputtered a bit comically, realizing her friend had not done her the courtesy of moving her sizable and now thoroughly used lady parts from her face. "No, no, you silly girl, as fun as that was, I am quite gorged on the bodily fluids of others at this point! I think regular water would suit me well. But yes, you are a disreputable strumpet and an all around bad seed, runt of the litter and a crockery mongrel, all that rot! The kind of sexual deviant who would shag a broom handle and wouldn't ask it to pay her!" Sleuth laughed, giving Hyde's bottom a series of extremely firm slaps with one of her leather gloves, now that she was fully aware that was what Hyde wanted. She pressed her hand down around the bend of Hyde's lower body, touching her private parts with her fingers, then squeezed, to hopefully jolt Hyde into moving off of her; she simultaneously lifted her upper body, to make that intent apparent. Unfortunately, all of that activity might make Hyde release some other things as well, but Sleuth figured she was as dirty as she was going to get. A little more Hyde slop wouldn't hurt her.

"Ah, a drink sounds lovely, my dear Lady! A bit of normalcy to break up this wild fun we've had," she sighed, accepting whatever was offered to her and drinking eagerly. Her eyes widened upon seeing her regular clothes in a good, clean state. That was sort of amazing, given all that had just happened. "Wonderful! You're a peach," she laughed, running over to grab them up before realizing the gross state of her own body and her gloves. "Oh, bloody hell! Quite a mess I've made. I suppose I should abandon the gloves and also take a good wash." Unfortunately, she'd have to get with Jocelyn about another pair of gloves... she stripped them off and dropped them to the ground, looking a bit ridiculous, as her hands were now the only part of her that wasn't filthy. "Please, show me to the showers! I've got an investigation I really ought to get back to! Oh, and while we're at it... did Miss Casey remain au-naturale the whole time? Just curious!" she inquired, giving a polite smile that didn't at all fit their setting.

Thoroughly drenched in a variety of sexual fluids, used, filled and set down in a vulgar mess of depravity on the shop floor, it was still good that both women recognised the importance of having a drink of clear water, after all of their exertion. LushLady was swift to come over and crouch beside them, offering the glasses of water and carefully helping each woman drink, even going so far as to offer extra support for the glass or their heads with helpful tendrils, if need be.

While both ladies were still in the state where any more stimulation would send them through more ecstatic convulsions, the atmosphere of the room had returned to normal and the lights were up again, and all in all, it would be easy to bring themselves down again, so long as they didn't keep indulging. LushLady herself wasn't about to add any more fuel to their fires, either, and would probably intercede if they tried to start up another round with any seriousness. Now was for cool-off, even if the aftermath of her touch had left both of them with no actual refractory time.

Eventually, the recuperation would see both ladies on their feet again, with various levels of stability and steadiness, and continued leakage, most likely. LushLady winced briefly as Sleuth managed to get some mess on the clothing that she'd carefully kept aside and clean for them up to this point, but it wasn't really her concern too much so instead she simply waved for both women to follow her back to the shower area in the back. If either of them were still a bit wobbly, there were a number of well-meaning vines trailing back behind LushLady, to either side of them, which offered support. At Sleuth's question, LushLady glanced back, frowning softly.

"Casey has stepped away to clean herself up, for a little while, but as far as I know she doesn't use any toys or anything like that. Mostly, I think she just wishes she could be a navi too, and join me directly. Here we are..."

Passing though a slim doorway behind the counter, the plant woman led both girls into a small side room that had a rack with some towels in it, and a shelf with a mirror, before leading into a tiled area that was clearly a shower bay. It was large enough to hold probably about five or six people in total, and the tiles were a delicate blue colour, with the over-head visual of a clear sky on a sunny day. The whole atmosphere of the space was clear and fresh, which was probably just what they needed. LushLady pulled her slim dress over her head and folded it once, before setting it on the counter. As much as this left her effectively naked again, the feel of the situation and her own behaviour, made it far more a case of casual nudity, without nothing particularly sexual attached to it.

"I hope you don't mind, girls, but I have to stay with you while my touch wears off. If you keep indulging, it will continue to go on, and at this point you shouldn't any more. I have to watch you both, for your own safety, unless either of you are going to jack out now, which should purge everything. I could use a shower too, of course." She was smiling softly to them, slightly mischievous but not in a 'playful' way, like before.

The shower itself, despite being a large bay, only had one set of controls, which were fairly easy to work out. the water came in a rainfall style, evenly from the ceiling, although there were four hand-held shower-heads that created a more traditional stream that could be moved and aimed as desired. It would be up to Sleuth and Hyde to fight over the water temperature or pressure settings they wanted while they washed themselves out and cleaned up, LushLady seemed happy to rinse under whatever they wanted.

Hyde let out a shriek which broke into a giggle as Sleuth gave her a bit more rough play, but the laughter gradually died down into a long sigh. Apparently, even a creature of endless mischief such as herself was capable of getting worn out under the circumstances. As she'd planned to, she considerately moved her hips up to release Sleuth from the floor.

That said, it was still a moment before she could get to her own feet. She continued to sit around a moment longer, glancing languidly at the clothes LushLady had taken such good care of while sipping her drink. "It's probably about time I put the hat back on, huh..." she mused, her dark lips wrapped around the rim of her glass.

Having finally hydrated herself, the Navi rose unsteadily to her feet, glad to have the aid of her hostess as she shakily made her way to the back room. She kept silent, but still had a big grin on her face. Occasionally, she'd play with one of the nearby tendrils, trying to wrap it around her finger, but she wasn't making any more obvious advances.

The Navi took in her surroundings without much thought. Really, going back to her bed analogy, this felt like the portion where you woke up in the morning and heard your alarm going off, and knew you couldn't get back into the dream you were just having... in thirty minutes it would be time to start moving... then twenty, then ten... Hyde was ready for her hat again, so she didn't bother fighting it.

She stood under the shower, smiling, but still rocking uneasily. She wasn't thinking about the settings, and so left their determination to the others. The water felt nice, but she did eventually come to the realization that she had truly made a mess of herself in the previous encounter. As such, she picked up a shower head and began getting some of the particular spots.

"What a lovely time," she sighed again, scrubbing her hands through her hair and closing her eyes. Really, with her eyes shut and her hair matted by water, there was a moment where she'd be basically indistinguishable from her more distinguished form. "Sleuth, I believe I promised you I'd spill some secrets, didn't I? Well, this little aside has put me in an uncommonly jolly mood, so I'd say you'd better bloody well ask what ever's on your mind before we move on. I probably can't answer all of your questions, but I might be able to push you onto the right tracks. Er, put you on the right track, that is!" She laughed deeply, then terminated it in a cough, as though there was just so much laughter she was capable of.

After Hyde had freed Sleuth from her spot on the floor, LushLady had provided her with a nice drink, and she'd gotten her wits about her, Sleuth felt ready for a nice shower. "Well, I can hardly blame the dear girl! I would be a little forlorn having to watch all the time, myself," Sleuth admitted once LushLady had answered her curiosity. She nodded along with the rest of what their hostess had to say. It was very rare that Sleuth felt that she'd gotten enough sex, but, well, she'd just unarguably gotten enough or maybe a little past enough sex. There was no room for debate there. Even her ordinarily strong libido wasn't enough to drive her to any more dirty jokes or playful touches. She really just needed to rinse it all off and get back to professional mode... After all, her usual mantra, "the mystery comes first," had sort of taken back seat to her need to get randy today.

Sleuth set the water to as cool as she could without upsetting the others, being one for warm baths when she needed to cheer up and cold showers when she needed to get back down to earth. She reflected that the shower room seemed large enough to maintain a few more occupants even than the three of them... she wondered to herself if LushLady ever had that many at once, or perhaps even more. "That'd be a sight to behold," she thought to herself. "But then, each guest probably gets a few less flower heads per, in that situation. Perhaps I was lucky that I came here with just myself and one friend?"

At some point, Sleuth had begun to consider Hyde a friend, which was a bit strange. Hyde's attitude had always been a bit hard to like originally, even if Sleuth was a bit better able to tolerate it than most would be at first, but now she'd grown accustomed to it; she felt that Hyde made even feel a mutual bond after what they'd gone through together as well, as cliche as that would be. As a matter of fact, Hyde had even offered to help her along in the mysteries that surrounded her. What greater sign of friendship than that? "Excellent! That makes me a bit uncommonly jolly myself, although, admittedly, I was already pretty jolly even before I heard. Ahem! Very well, I shall proceed; hopefully I won't ask you any questions you don't want Miss LushLady hearing the answer to," she chuckled. "I'll go down the list of the ones I've been wondering about the most. First off, what are the triggers that separate you from your other personality? I gather the tonic... I say tonic, though it was really just like water to me... has something to do with it. I also heard you mention your hat... is that another trigger?"

She'd wait a bit for that answer, then close her eyes, raise her finger, and continue. This was probably the first time she'd interrogated someone naked in the shower, while another relative stranger looked on. It was a bit of an odd feeling. "Secondly, do you consider you and the other personality to be two distinct 'people?' That is, if one of you was 'erased,' would that be like killing someone, or would that simply be like removing a disassociative personality disorder? I feel a bit bad for the other Hyde after all we just put your body through, but at the same time, I don't know that I'd actually want her to be 'rid' of you, or you her, now that I think about it. I'm not sure a cure is what you need, so much as perhaps some rules to how the split is managed? I'm still thinking on it, but the answer is important..."

Here she'd stop again for a moment while she shampooed and rinsed her hair; it wasn't as long as most girls kept it, so it wouldn't take her but a moment. "Alright, one more question... Are you or the other Hyde the 'original personality?' Or were you created with multiple personalities from the moment you began to exist?" she further questioned, before panicking a bit. "Ack! I had another important final thought! You were a bit tipsy and if I recall correctly, I was seeing rainbows at the time, but I thought I heard you say you were a famous doctor working on curing 'memory-dump,' as in memory loss for navis? Is that true? Can you tell me more about it?"

After this, Sleuth assured herself, she'd get back to the missing masseuse case. Absolutely. But, all things considered, she had a rare opportunity to solve another mystery here, and no good detective turned down hand-outs when they had the opportunity.

As the ladies began to shower off and get what they could of the various fluids off themselves, LushLady simply rinsed and stretched under the cool water, sighing to herself as she stretched under it. It was probably understandable that someone who was at least part plant was fond of fresh, cool water. Sleuth and Hyde would, unfortunately, find that no amount of washing was going to completely clear them of the awareness of how thoroughly they'd been serviced; short of jacking out, they'd probably be able to feel something of the foreign substance deep within their intimate places for a couple of days, though fortunately, the white substance didn't appear to have the same arousing effect that her nectar did. pleasant squishy feelings aside, the more LushLady's touch faded from each of them, the more aware they would likely be growing of how physically taxed their bodies had been by the end. If either of them were the sort to bruise or suffer from raw, over-tender skin, they would each be becoming gradually more aware of such complaints in a variety of uncomfortable places as they recovered.

Elsewise, however, the shower itself was refreshing and cleansing, and their host kept quietly to herself while the two chatted to each other about more mundane matters... if the mystery of the Hyde plural could be called a mundane topic. Really, it couldn't, all told. By the time they had both gotten as clean as they realistically could, LushLady was already done and had stepped out into the dry space, delicately shaking herself off and taking towels from an alcove, ready to hand to the other two. She didn't seem to need one herself, as her skin seemed to swiftly drink up the excess moisture within a few moments of her stepping out from under the shower itself.

When they were ready and dried off, it would only be a short trip back to their clothes; While the shower had been on, another small transformation had occurred through the rest of the shop, and the remaining excess fluids were all gone, leaving things clean and clear again... except for the one small stain that Sleuth had managed to put on her own garments. Oh well. The lights were up a little more, though not quite returned to 'shopping' levels, but the strange furniture was still dotted about, and the front glass was still opaqued and safe. Lush herself put her dress back on, the strange sheer-yet-modest cloth making her features appear smooth again, and collected the tray of cool drinks, whisking it away while the others dressed and settled. At some point, she called out to ask if either of them would fancy a hot drink now, after the cool shower; she had a selection of a few different herbal teas, the more common black teas, and decaffeinated coffee to choose from. Regardless of their orders, it would only take a moment before she returned with anew tray and whatever they had requested, if she had it. Setting it down on the main counter, she smiled to each of them.

"So, how are you both feeling now? The touch should be fading away by now, but you should both stay until we're sure it's passed. I don't want it to cause anyone any damage, if you indulge again before it's fully out of your systems." She seemed much more relaxed now as well; it was possible that LushLady had, herself, been quite eager for some action when they arrived, and had needed to get it out of her system just as much as each of them.

"I'm happy to answer your questions, Sleuth, although you should know I'm particularly fond of giving cryptic answers and withholding any further explanations from the inquirer. I certainly hope you don't expect me to apologize for that," she cackled, rinsing her hair as she listened.

"Let's see, triggers, hrm...? You're both right and wrong in thinking my flask and hat are the triggers. You can think of them as toggle switches... whichever mode I'm in, drinking the drink or changing the position of that particular hat on my head, including the removal of it or replacement of it entirely, will change me. There isn't anything I can do about that. That said... they're triggers, but they're very bad triggers! Bloody daft, really. Don't you think they're rather obvious? Quite stupid, honestly." Hyde appeared to be giggling at herself as she stepped out from the water, standing in the buff and facing Sleuth as a grin broke out across her big teeth.

She stood under the water a bit longer as she heard the second. This one seemed to make her grin even wider. "Two distinct personalities... but two distinct people? I wouldn't say so. I imagine Hyde could probably erase either of us, being such a talented surgeon. In fact, if she learns about me, I imagine she'll do just that! No, further: I'm sure that's what she'll do, if she can. Poor, poor dear," she cackled again, an orange glint shining in her eyes. "Luckily, that can't ever happen. That wouldn't be a murder so much as a lobotomy, or a vow of chastity. Terrible fates, wouldn't you say?"

She probably wasn't as showered as she could be, but she was feeling much better than she had a moment ago, and smelled nice again, as far as she could tell. She stepped out from the shower, taking one of the offered towels. "Anyway, you might as well give up on the idea of any kind of sharing 'rules.'" As she was wont to do, Hyde made a show of holding the towel taut across her own backside and running her rear end across it (not as enthusiastically as she might in another situation, as she really was feeling worn out). "If it'll make you feel better, I'm happy to tell you I could abide by such a set of rules, but I think we both know that isn't how I work..."

Done with her little show, Hyde used the towel more practically in an attempt to actually dry down her body. "Neither of us is the original personality. That's a sharp question, my little Junior Detective!" Hyde said, her smile tighter than usual. "As far as if we were created with multiple... hmm... I'd say so, but then again, what do any of us know about ourselves? Even you, Sleuth, certainly have more than one personality. The difference is what it takes for us to switch between them. Some of us never meet our other selves unless we're dragged there, kicking and screaming... other times, the other personality has to be excised with scissors."

She continued to wait as Sleuth finished up, then (presumably) walked with her towards the front of the store again. She hadn't bothered wrapping any towel around herself for decency, preferring to keep it slung over her shoulder. "Ahahaaaa!" she laughed as Sleuth mentioned a "memory dump." "Really, how much stock do you put in the testimony of a woman stoned out of her gourd? Are you even sure you actually heard that? What a bloody detective, really... Let me give you one straight answer, because I feel sorry for you, dearie. As much as I'd love to tell you 'that's the disease I have, and all we have to do is cure it!'... as much as I'd love to lead you on a wild goose chase, that was simply a dramatic but token example of the types of diseases I understand Hyde cures. But here's the more interesting part of that straight answer: No. I can't tell you what it is." Hyde first smiled and then giggled at this, her giggle picking up until she was finally blaring laughter as she made it into the main room.

The doctor was feeling breezy, but she never felt indecent: as such, she put the bottom half of her outfit back on, but nothing else, and sat on whatever piece of furniture was nearby and convenient, holding her hat in one hand. She was still braying out spurts of laughter. Apparently, her last answer had tickled a particular rib. "Aha... how can you start to fix something when you can't tell if it's broken? What if you lack the tools to measure the deficiency... what if you lack the knowledge to issue a prescription? Well... you'd do your best!" Hyde laughed quite hard at this, squinting her eyes and clapping her hands. "You'd do your bloody best, you would!"

She twirled her hat in her hand, facing LushLady with her same wild, orange eyes. "I suspect that once I get my hat on I'm going to want tea, as black as you've got." Really, she suspected her other side wouldn't like that at all, but that was all part of the fun. "It's going back on in just a few seconds! Toggle off, and I get to take a break while my boring better half endures all of the aches and bruises of my gallivanting. Any final questions? I'm always happy to help solve a mystery, especially when I know the outcome'll be a pointless, frustrating bother."

After accepting a towel and drying herself off, quickly and with no-nonsense, Sleuth snickered in response to LushLady's question. "Oh, I'm feeling quite fit now, Miss LushLady. But, if you insist on staying and enjoying a spot of tea, then I suppose I can't refuse, can I?" Sleuth joked, smiling wide and accepting a cup. "This will give me a chance to think over my baffling partner's latest round of information. Please, continue, Miss Hyde. That's quite alright, if you must behave that way. I'm known to be a bit misleading myself, sometimes." The naked detective sipped her tea while watching her mostly naked ally for signs of body language, although it was the same routine she'd always seen: little give with a lot of loony behavior.

Without dressing back, Sleuth enjoyed her drink and listened to her partner's answers. "Quite, quite. Very silly triggers, they are," Sleuth concurred in her thick accent, nodding slowly. It was good to have confirmation of her theories as to how Hyde switched back and forth, regardless. The second answer was so cryptic that Sleuth didn't actually know what to make of it. "Hyde is a talented surgeon? Are you saying that 'Hyde' could perform surgery on herself and excise either of her personalities? That's altogether a strange though," she murmured, wondering which personality was the great surgeon. She hadn't seen either of the others demonstrate any real hints of operational prowess so far, so it was always possible it was yet another personality that remained hidden. "Also, that is true. You do not seem one to follow rules, regardless of whether or not you are capable."

Sleuth mostly nodded along with Hyde's answer about whether the multiple personalities were original or a new development, seeming to take it as a non-answer. "Forgive me for saying so, but my lows and highs are not quite so different as yours, Miss Hyde," she responded, smiling defiantly. "While I'm sure there are a few psychologists and men of the white coat who would have some interesting things to say about my psyche, yours is far more unique, even than my own," she posited. At Hyde's laughter and dismissal of her stoned testimony, Sleuth couldn't help but laugh along a bit. "Perhaps! On the other hand, you're so prone to lying and trickery when you're in your right mind, that I can hardly imagine you're any less trustworthy under the influence of our host's wonderful wacky-grass," she replied. "But I believe the answer is useful all the same. You have indeed clarified that 'Hyde' is a person who cures people, even if 'memory dump' is not something you yourself actually suffer from. So I thank you for that."

Seeing that Hyde had moved to begin dressing again, Sleuth started as well, thankfully being a bit more thorough than her counterpart. "We're not leaving with you dressed like that, you know," she murmured off-handedly, trying in vain to speak over Hyde's cackling laughter. "I always do my bloody best, dear girl, although sometimes I take detours... like I have this lovely day. But no matter! I get to the bottom of everything, eventually. I said I'd get to your bottom, and I did, didn't I?" she joked again, shrugging her shoulders and not expecting any praise for such a weak one. "Well, if you must take your leave, Miss Hyde, I'd like an answer to this first: you keep referring to this 'Hyde' who is a doctor, as though she's someone other than yourself, or otherwise referring to yourself in third person. What is it you're talking about? Are you referring to another person, or to the collective of all of your personalities?" she finished.

At this point, Sleuth had barely begun putting her clothes back on, wearing only the bikini, and received a call from her operator. She accepted, with a warning not to turn her on video, then began to speak privately over her speaker, so that LushLady wouldn't hear. They discussed case details, with Jacky having far more to offer than she did, before resolving a new course of action. "I suppose I should think of what Miss Hyde and I shall do as well," she mused, although currently, she had no idea. "Perhaps I'd better wait to go over the details with the second, more memory-challenged Miss Hyde, who will need a refresher course and perhaps an explanation for the chafed feeling about her loins." She'd continue dressing while her partner finished her explanation. "Oh, and do put your top on before your hat, won't you? Your other poor self will be in an awful fright if she comes to wearing only that."

As washed and clean as they could hope to get, the two... dubiously... mystery-solving navis focused some calmer discussion time on probing the unknown depths of Hyde's own shattered psyche while LushLady prepared the drinks they'd each requested and brought them over. She stayed out of their conversation, though it was clear she was listening with interest, and simply watched them both to be sure they were behaving and not getting up to any more mischief with each other. The borderline scholastic bent that their discussion took seemed to reassure the plant woman that the pair of them were recovering quickly and wouldn't run the risk of falling back into another sexual overload and melting both of their minds if she let them go. While they chatted, she nodded to herself, sipping her own drink, the spoke up when there was a lull in the conversation.

"There is no rush, ladies, but I believe you're safe enough now, so once you're dressed and ready, and you've finished your tea, you're free to head off." She smiled softly. "Unless you'd like to buy some garden products, of course. As I said, no rush, take your time." If she noticed or minded Sleuth having a private conversation, LushLady didn't seem to mind. Given what they'd just been up to, the need to have private explanations with others on the outside was probably not a terribly uncommon thing.

Hyde let most of Sleuth's questions go without a follow-up, even when woman seemed to be requesting one: after all, she was only capable of being just so generous. However, even though Sleuth hadn't expected it (or perhaps because Hyde knew it would be annoying to focus on that particular detail), she gave her own big, bawdy laugh at Sleuth's repeated "bottom" joke. "Ahaha, I wouldn't call that one a closed case, if I were you! I might call upon you to do some more investigative work there, since you seem to have such a good head for it...~" Realizing there had to be a limit, she waved her free hand not holding the hat at LushLady. "Ehe, that was just a dirty whim of mine! I'm good to drive, honest, you'll see no more diddling from us."

"Anyway, your last question Sleuth... the doctor Hyde! Why, I believe the two of you are already acquainted! Here, let me summon her for you-~" Hyde proclaimed, before placing the hat back on her head. It seemed she wasn't going to honor Sleuth's request to put her top on before her topper.

It might have been because Sleuth knew what to look for, or because Hyde's current state of undress made her body motions more apparent, or even because the circumstances were more dramatic than they'd been during any prior switch: whatever the reason, though, the change was very obvious when the hat landed upon her head. Her previously grinning face went slack, and her eyes clouded back over to their original dark color. Without speaking, like a zombie, she walked over to the stack of clothing that belonged to her and efficiently replaced her undersuit. She continued putting on articles of clothing like a woman possessed, refusing to acknowledge any questions or comments from either Navi present until she was as re-dressed as she could become (her pants were still off in some other part of the mall).

Assuming it was offered to her, Hyde took her black tea and sipped it, grimacing as the bitter taste apparently didn't agree with her. Still, she made an effort to put it all down, seeming determined to regain her composure. From LushLady's perspective, the woman appearing before her would probably appear to be an entirely different person, as Hyde hadn't changed between her two minds since entering the shop.

"Sleuth," she finally spoke, her voice dry and humorless. "LushLady. I'm..." she started, before realizing that "I'm not sure we've met?" sounded funny even to her own ears. "I'm not feeling at the top of my game, for some reason... Sleuth, d-do you have a suggestion for where we might ought to head next? I've had... a busy day? A lot of... physical exertion?" They sounded more like questions than statements, but she didn't leave a pause for anyone to interject with an explanation. "In any case, I'd like to be done with our business here as quickly as possible. Ah, and, thank you for the tea, ma'am, it's... lovely?" she said, blushing a bit as she realized that last statement was too obviously uncertain. "O-only if you don't mind, maybe I could have a bit of sugar?"

Sleuth nodded with a bemused smirk, regretting her dirty joke and hoping that the topic would be dragged, against all odds, to one of the two mysteries at hand. The time had begun to begin her own meticulous process of redressing, which took a while, since she had not only to put everything back on, but also to make sure that it was obsessively patted down at the seams to fit just right and wrinkle-free. "Oh dear; the sleepy, memory-challenged one is the doctor? That doesn't seem like a great fit," Sleuth remarked, not entirely as a joke, as the true identity of Doctor Hyde was made clear. Still, thinking back to it, she realized something interesting: the bad Hyde had mentioned the kinds of diseases that "she understands" the doctor cures, implying that she wasn't certain. That made Sleuth question whether there was not some loss of cognition on the side of the bad Hyde as well. Before she could ask about it, however, Hyde's more familiar mischievous side vanished, leaving the addled, quiet one in its place.

Thankfully, this Hyde didn't seem entirely aware of all that had just taken place, and furthermore, Sleuth had just gotten redressed save her coat, so that wouldn't be quite so shocking. It was possible that Hyde had some sort of defensive mechanism that blocked her from remembering some of the scandalous behavior that her second personality enacted on her behalf. "Indeed, the tea is lovely. I wish that I had two zenny to rub together, so that I could purchase some of your fine plants, but as it stands, I'm 'broke as a joke', as they say. That said, if they're anything as lively as some of the other plant-life I've seen here, then it would be well worth my time to return once I have some spending cash!" she joked. "You know, I hate to bother you, my dear lady, but there is a chance that you can help me just a bit further. I must continue my search throughout the mall for anything that could pertain to my case over at the Gloria Scott, and I'm beginning I may be better served to interview operators than navis. So far, I've made a point to interview a certain Miss Damson, but I've talked to precious few other shopkeepers here at the center. If Casey is in any condition to speak, might I ask her a thing or two?" she inquired, tilting her head as she took her seat back and entered a comfortable recline, looking dashing in her riding coat and slacks-patterned navi-suit, rather than erotic in her nudity.

If Casey agreed to make an appearance (or to speak), Sleuth would continue. "Can you tell me a bit about a woman named Teresse, or another named Janette? I was planning to give each of them a visit later today and it would be nice to have some background. Oh, and if you know, could you comment on any relation they might have to each other or Miss Damson? I'd like to have a complete picture." She figured that a girl with Casey's interests might be more observant than most on the relationships between other girls and, hopefully, willing to gossip a little about them.

With the expected, if sudden, transition of the Hydes and much redressing on all counts, LushLady was watching the medical navi carefully by the time she seemed ready to talk. Though she hadn't been actively participating in the conversation between the two, it was clear that she had at least been listening and putting a few of the pieces together herself, and now she seemed uncertain and wary, both of Hyde, and Sleuth herself. Upon being greeted, the plant woman didn't immediately extend a hand, but rather nodded and turned to retrieve the small sugar dish from her tray, and helping the other woman to apply whatever level of sweetener she wanted.

"It sounds like you might have been played, dear. Perhaps you should ask your friend about that..." was the greeting that she murmured as she did, though she didn't say any more herself and left Sleuth to answer the poor woman's confusion instead. Unfortunately for the more disoriented Hyde, her detective friend didn't seem to interested in clarifying... though exactly how one was supposed to explain the physical awareness of just the sorts of things that Hyde's body had gotten up to while she couldn't remember it, was a question that no-one could blame anyone for wanting to avoid.

LushLady mightn't be the type to judge, but she did cast a slightly unimpressed eye in Sleuth's direction as the matter was brushed away.
"If you were supposed to be working a case all this time, I'm not sure this visit was appropriate, dear... no matter how enjoyable. I can get Casey for you, but if you're going to ask her anything about Damson, I suggest you do that last, or you might not get anything of use out of her." With her warning given, the vine woman's eyes flicked away briefly. "She's just opening up again, give it a minute."

In reality it was only a few seconds before a viewscreen flickered open alongside LushLady, facing outwards. the same girl as before greeted them, though now her straw sun hat was in her free hand, fanning her face slowly. Despite this, her skin was still flushed a fairly bright pink and seemed to be taking a while to cool down again, and her short, wild mess of red hair was in disarray, but the woman's eyes were bright and pleased. She was sitting on the front side of her counter, one knee up and to the side as she was apparently holding her PET a comfortable distance away.

"You know usually, it just goes all trippy for a while, and it takes a bit before they get to the kinky stuff, but you two just dived right on in and went right to the messy part from step one..." she giggled to herself and blew out another short, happy exhale of breath. "You two going to be regulars? That'd be sweet!" An eyebrow raised when Sleuth asked her actual questions and LushLady filled in the blank quickly.

"It seems these two ladies had a more serious reason for their visit, as well, dear, and neglected to mention it before we indulged."
"Oh. Well, whatever... Let's see... Teresse Ensarine, I'm guessing you mean? She runs a pet shop here? She's a little past my bracket, I think, but she's well meaning enough. Very polite, very unassuming. She kinda... dithers a lot. She likes to have a plan, and to stick to it, and when unexpected things happen she frets and worries. Far as I know everyone here likes her well enough, but it's... um, how can I say it without sounding kinda mean... she's like that nice acquaintance that everyone kinda pats on the head and reassures, and is friendly to... but, it's like, she's not actually a part of anyone's actual friend circles. Maybe she's actually really lonely? I never really thought of it like that. Maybe that's why she such a pet lover?" Casey shrugged softly and repositioned herself a little, reaching back to scratch the back of her head and ruffle her hair.

"Now, Janette, is she ever a slice of alright..." The girl smirked. "And a demon with her tongue, when you get a few drinks into her... but don't tell her I said that, she likes to pretend it never happened. Twice." This was punctuated by another small giggle before she continued. "She's sporty and really kinda body active... whenever she's working, you kinda just get that vibe that she'd rather be out running, or rock-climbing or something. She thinks she's totally hetero-normative, but trust me, that woman is totally convincable." LushLady cleared her throat.

"Casey, dear, I know what we were all various just doing, but I don't think those are the sorts of things they're really interested in, professionally."
"Right... Well, mostly we're all pretty good friends. We sometimes have an evening out with a couple of other friends, for dancing drinks, that kind of thing, you know? Just me, her, sometimes Sierra, the cleaning lady too... a friend or two some of us know from college, and of course Damson comes along sometimes too." If anyone was watching for it, there was a flicker in the girl's expression and small grin. "Anyway, Janette... I know she's a bit fond of playing tricks on her good friends... and sometimes some slightly less charitable tricks on her less than good friends. She's got a bit of a mutual sore spot going on with some of the guys down in the computer and electronics section."

The real question though, was how each of their relationships were with Damson, and Casey seemed almost like she had been impatient to get to this part. She grinned broadly, showing a flash of teeth.

"Damson's just lovely, isn't she? I'm so glad you met her, she's just a wonderful person, don't you think? she's always so creative and her shyness is just so adorable sometimes I could just..." they probably didn't need any help guessing what Casey would just do to Damson, after what they'd learned so far, but in case they needed help, a fresh blush tinted at her cheeks while she spoke, soiling her previous efforts at cooling down. "I'm sure everyone just loves her, really, I mean, I'm not sure how someone couldn't. I'm still trying to convince her to take a stroll on the dark side... One day... She's good friends with, like, everybody, and I think of all of us, she's the kindest to Teresse, too, which is just like her, really. And that navi of hers? Isn't she just an adorable little bundle of kinks and perversions? Having a navi like that, makes me sure Damson's hiding a wild girl underneath all her calm and reserve, hehe, I'm sure of it! I mean... I know she's married and all, but, you know, so is Janette, and that doesn't stop her giving me a slice of pie sometimes when we've had a night out together. She'll come around one day, I'm sure of it."

Sleuth and Hyde could take from that whenever they were able to, since Casey herself seemed to think that it covered the basics of an answer. Inquiring minds might find a few interesting morsels in amongst her enthusing, and it seemed that, if either of them wished to encourage her any further, the girl was certainly willing to chatter on about her favourite mall subject.

Hyde took only a pinch of sugar. She didn't care for her tea too sweet, but nor could she take the bitterness of pure black. Besides, she wanted to drink as fast as she could. There was a foreign, unidentifiable taste she had to try and chase out of her mouth... something sweet, mixed with something bitter. Not that she would know it, but she was lucky that some combination of her internal mental blocks and the "all-natural stimulants" she'd been given earlier was serving to confuse that sense, so she wasn't tasting it outright.

She glanced sideways at LushLady upon receiving her comment. She didn't have any idea of what it meant, but she could see that Sleuth against all odds, focusing on the mission and no longer assaulting her. That was a pleasant change from most of the previous times she'd regained consciousness, so she was afraid to do anything that might upset the balance. Still, she thought to herself, she ought to address it properly once the two had left the shop.

Unfortunately, it didn't look like circumstances were going to let that sleeping dog lie. Casey's initial comments made it clear that Sleuth had indeed been getting into some mischief in the portion Hyde was having trouble recollecting. She held her hand to her face, massaging her temples as she listened to the deluge of information Casey was providing. She didn't think the conversation topics were at all appropriate for polite company, but then again, such was the nature of her mission. She imagined Sleuth had begun prodding into the topics with that already in mind.

Hyde mostly remained quiet and sipped her tea, occasionally shooting Sleuth a glance that said "We'll talk about this later." At the last points about Damson, however, Hyde frowned, trying to decide whether or not to speak her mind. "Ms. Casey, I hardly think it's appropriate to entertain such thoughts about-" she began, before biting her tongue. She realized she had been about to finish that sentence with "a happily married woman," and with a bit of thought, that could lead to some questions about why the pair was already so familiar with Damson. She wasn't sure how much had already been divulged to the Navi/Operator pair.

... She had to finish the sentence somehow, though, after raising a stink. "About... two women engaging in such acts of sexual experimentation together!" As that would probably raise some eyebrows in her current situation, she would survey the reactions only briefly before adding, "W-without mutual interest in, er, the agreement, that is."

Sleuth's attention had been momentarily diverted to her operator's conversation, as well as Hyde's, which she attempted to manage on one channel of communications, while also participating in her back-and-forth with Hyde and LushLady. The latter had some criticisms to make of Sleuth's handling of her compatriot so far, which caused Sleuth to raise her eyebrows. "Oh come now! Are you the type to get moody after? I wouldn't think you the type," she chuckled, although it was actually a pretty valid remark that had been made. "We did just hear Miss Hyde say that the two should not be treated as two individuals, did we not? Furthermore, we heard Miss Hyde say that she 'needed' that bit of business! You are making the same mistake that I did when I first met Miss Hyde: assuming that her other half is a parasite that must be expunged. In truth, it has desires and needs that have to be fulfilled in just the same way, even if she is a dastardly lout most of the time," Sleuth offered. One might be forgiven for thinking she'd taken an objectionable, lawyerly approach to the disagreement. She sensed that she'd probably be losing Hyde at this point, as the good doctor seemed to block out anything having to do with her other self. "All of this was more than just a distraction: it was a vital component in learning more about my new friend here! Although you might not remember it, Miss Hyde, the two of us have bonded... I've learned a lot about you, and therefore, some of the elements of your... forgetfulness and blackouts," she further explained, hoping that putting the affliction in terms that Hyde was familiar with would stop her from mentally refusing the whole conversation. "Miss Hyde's case is no less important than the other that I'm investigating! Any activity spent learning more about it equates to time well spent, in my book."

"Ahem," she coughed into her fist, thinking that she couldn't actually deny the fact that the good Hyde was owed an explanation. "Miss Hyde, I must admit that, much like a drunken lady who gets up to mischief and forgets her inhibitions, you got up to some fairly... how shall I say it... anatomically harrowing business with me and our new friend here," she murmured, smiling despite her words. "If you feel a bit of a unique sensation in your loins, that is probably why. And I, much like the bad friend of said drunken lady, did not do all in my power to stop it. However! I am more educated because of it and I feel like I understand your unique condition better than before... That makes me better equipped to handle your mystery, as I said. You'll find no permanant damage as a result of today's festivities, I wager, and we're all richer because of it! Think of yourself as a drunken lady with a bad friend who allowed her to drunkenly buy a lottery ticket, which turned out to be a winner!" she finished, waving her hands excitedly. Sleuth wasn't the type to "talk about it later," and thus had aired all of her dirty laundry in front of LushLady.

Casey offered a jump-in point back to the investigation, giving a lot of new information to the two of them. "A demon with her tongue, huh?" Sleuth repeated, raising one eyebrow. "Do you mean... oh, so sometimes, but not all the time," she remarked, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. A wide smirk crept slowly onto her face. She was now wondering if the navi was just as convinceable as the operator. The thought of flowering romance between the bubbly Curly and the hard-assed FleetFoot would always make her smile, whether good-natured grin or evil smirk. The testimony continued, and Sleuth couldn't help waving one finger to interrupt. "Could you explain more about Miss Janette's beef with those in the electronics section?" she asked, without qualifying why she needed that information. In her experience, the parts that were glossed over often held the juiciest tidbits of information, and she never gave herself the chance to regret failing to investigate them. "Mm hm, mm hm. Yes, Miss Damson is quite nice. Quite, Curly seems nice as well. Absolutely, piece of her pie, yes," she remarked, as the monologue continued.

Part of her wanted to ask another question, this time about Sierra and her navi, but she realized the two were rapidly running out of time to meet Sierra's navi in person, while she was presumably at FleetFoot's store. "You know, it's been lovely, Miss LushLady. And I thank you for your hospitality as well, Miss Casey. But it really is time that Miss Hyde and I were going, if you're finished with your tea?" she questioned, already rising up and setting her own tea cup down. "You were right about one point: we do have a mystery to solve, and while all of this unrelated information has been a joyous morsel of gossip, I'm afraid that all it's done is cause the gears of my mind to turn, devoting themselves to my original cause," Sleuth finished. "I hope you won't mind letting us out?" she questioned, assuming the shop was still locked up.

While the the investigators sipped their drinks, LushLady couldn't help raise an amused eyebrow at the returned Hyde's flustered reaction to something so comparatively mundane. It was probably a good thing she wasn't fully aware of what she'd just been doing, all things considered and the plant-woman seemed a little torn about the idea that the woman before her now might have jsut had her body indulged in ways she would not consent to. She seemed to set the matter, tentatively, aside in her mind though; it was clearly a complicated issue, and she didn't know as much as she might have liked, but they both seemed content at least, and Sleuth wasn't acting as though she'd done anything wrong, per se.

"Maybe so, but I still would have liked to have known about the... the situation, before-hand." with a soft sigh, she stretched out again and turned her attention back towards Hyde, shifting around on her choice of furniture slightly.

"Don't worry dear, it's just fantasy. Casey would never do anything a prospective partner didn't want, after all, but you can hardly get mad at what a lady does in the confines of her own mind, can you?" she shrugged softly, several of her vine tendrils mimicking the action. Meanwhile, Casey was answering Sleuth's other short inquires.

"The tech guys? Oh that's just the normal kinda rivalry... she's sporty and they're geeks, you know? so, they rib each other a bit, and maybe sometimes she'll play a prank on one of them... like putting itch powder in lining of someone's office chair or something... and then one of them will get back at her by reprogramming something important.. it's not really mean-spirited or anything, and never harmful or hurtful, though, it's not entirely friendly either."

Once they had made up their mind to go, however, LushLady nodded softly and collected their cups. she moves gracefully to reset the shop into the place of purchase that it was supposed to be, then cleared the windows and opened the shutter. s much as the the net space for the mall didn't have a particularly notable ambient temperature, it still felt like something of a breath of fresh, cool air compared tot he warmth of the space they were in. The vine-woman waved them off with a grin and a word to mention that she'd be happy to see them again some time, if they wanted.

This left the two navis with the question of where to head, now that they were no longer preoccupied; they'd interviewed the navis they had access to, but if they were to head directly back to Pedi-joy, they would likely still find it closed up, since last they had heard, FleetFoot was taking Curly for a drink in the food court, and it didn't seem likely that either would welcome their return. It was a pity that they couldn't find and grill WallFly in person, but judging from the chat Sleuth had managed with him by proxy through her operator, it seemed as though the closed security net where he worked was a separate net-space altogether to the public access Shamus Austin net... though he seemed more than helpful enough anyway, so grilling probably wasn't necessary.

Hyde continued sipping her drink, staring at Sleuth with the vacant stare of a parent looking over a newspaper at their child trying to explain their interest in technology or modern music, despite the fact that she didn't appear to have anything else on her mind. It was as though she had just checked out: a casual observer would probably assume she was daydreaming. She remained that way through most of Sleuth's defense, but smiled in at the notion that they had bonded as friends. Going back to the newspaper analogy, it was the smile of a parent who'd given up trying to understand his or her child, but was just happy they were happy. The light finally seemed to struggle back into her eyes as Sleuth mentioned forgetfulness and blackouts.

She didn't keep her smile on as Sleuth explained the next part. Her expression here reflected that her mind was no longer caught in the emptiness of the particular portion of her memory, but on trying to fill that space with a possibility of what might have occurred. "A-anatomically harrowing? Permanent damage?" Hyde gasped, placing a hand to her face and feeling around it, before suddenly patting around her entire body. "Dear lord, have you gotten me some sort of piercing? A tattoo?!" The doctor clearly wasn't ready to leave the subject unfinished, but she shut herself up, regardless. She wasn't sure she wanted to discuss all of this in front of their new acquaintance... she didn't know how much Damson's mystery would come into it.

She turned to LushLady in her near panic, but calmed a bit as she turned back to her earlier concerns. "What she does in the confines of her own mind... you say..." Hyde put a finger to her lower lip, looking distracted. "Well, I won't say you can never get mad about it! It depends on the circumstances surrounding the woman in question... a-as in, there are certain times when I don't think it would be appropriate. Ah," she started, realizing whoever she was trying to prosecute here, it wasn't Casey. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to say.... that is, Casey's welcome to entertain whatever fantasies are part of her healthy mental state."

With Sleuth on the move, Hyde rose and finished downing her tea. "Thank you very much for the drink and... um... the activity," she concluded, understanding she had been offered some service for free and feeling gratitude was due, whatever the service was. She gave the Navi a small, flushed grin and a bow before hurrying out.

The medical Navi was, at this point, following Sleuth without a clear direction. After all, Sleuth had just been filled into Jacky and Jocelyn's latest details, but Jacky wasn't making any effort to catch Hyde up. That aside, she had other matters larger on her mind at the moment, and would allow herself to be led as she demanded further information. "Ms. Sleuth, I think it's high time you explained to me what was going on in there, and what permanent anatomical disfigurement I apparently needn't worry over! I-" she began, before wincing slightly and rubbing her behind as discretely as possible, folding her cloak around herself to do so. "I..." she started again, before her mind suddenly started trying to connect dots. "I... my goodness, I... Sleuth, while I was in that store, was I... Did something 'enter' me?" she hissed in a whisper. In the back of her mind, she knew that as a doctor, she ought to be ashamed for not thinking of her memory holes and what Sleuth might have learned first. However, there was another issue that was more pressing to her as a woman of principles.

Sleuth encountered a few more dead ends from the responses given, both in terms of the rivalry between Janette and electronics, and in terms of her path to squirming out of her guilt trip at having let Hyde offer herself up to a good, vegetarian shagging. She had to stifle a grin at the good doctor's train of thought, hiding her smile with one hand at the thought of what the stuffy girl might get tattooed on the prime real estate of her lower back. Thankfully, she got to belay her answer for at least a bit longer, while the two exited with LushLady's promise of future flings. Sleuth thought she'd definitely take her up on that offer, although she might leave Hyde at home next time... not that her company hadn't been pleasant, but she didn't normally crave moral dilemmas with her tentacle play.

Speaking of which, the conversation wasn't really over; Hyde reopened it as soon as Sleuth and she had stepped outside. "I must stress again, not permanent! That's a good thing! Not... permanent," she sighed, realizing that probably wouldn't fully alleviate her friend's worries. "Okay, okay, so... while we were in the store... we were presented with a rare opportunity to um... sample some exotic... Okay, nevermind, wordplay is always fun, but probably ill advised at this time. I'll tell you straight," Sleuth resolved, grabbing Hyde's shoulders and bending at the knees a bit to look her in the eyes. Despite the ceremony, she kept her voice quiet, so that no one else would overhear. She'd pour it all out, as long as Hyde didn't interrupt her, in very explicit detail. "I feel I should apologize. While it was very fun... and, if I may say, you are quite an energetic love-maker... I should have consulted with you before I began. I'm very sorry, in hindsight... But we should continue to cooperate, since Miss Jacky has been, for her part, doing a mostly admirable job of stopping my operator from getting into some similar hijinks, but with longer-term ramifications."

Sleuth closed her lips up tightly and smiled amiably, drumming her fingers together and raising her eyebrows in a hopeful expression. "Friendsies?" she asked, clutching her gloves together. She wasn't the type to seek approval from others, but she had to admit, it would make her feel at least a little better and focused on the mission, if she and Hyde could continue to be bosom buddies... She threw in a bit more, pushing her luck. "Of course, if that sounds like a good time to you, I'd be happy to try it again whenever you like, perhaps with you in your right mind this time! It was a superbly pleasant experience, I assure you, this coming from a seasoned veteran of many such experiences. And, with all the veggies and what not, it almost feels healthy! I certainly feel more limber! A bit sore down below, but that will fade. Oh, but we mustn't go again too soon; potential side effects from repeat sessions in close intervals, she says," Sleuth offered, going off on a tangent due to her enthusiasm for the subject.

"I'm the medical professional, here," Hyde protested in a low tone, "so I'll be the one to judge if whatever business I got up to will have permanent effects!" The Navi's brow continued to alternate between a furrowed and raised state as she anticipated Sleuth's explanation, trying to decide if she should be upset, outraged, or afraid. She raised an eyebrow and flushed a bit as Sleuth situated herself for a difficult talk, thinking the proximity and intimacy of the gesture was probably inappropriate for a public appearance. How inappropriate that action was would soon be the furthest thing from Hyde's mind, however, as Sleuth began her story. Far from stopping Sleuth, Hyde seemed unable to speak at all. Her jaw hung open, an expression that was probably, initially, shock. As Sleuth continued, however, she'd find the slack-jawed face accompanied by eyes not wide from shock, but low-lidded, as if in a daze. It was evident that whatever "sleep mode" Hyde had had just kicked into overdrive, probably deploying aggressively in response to what it considered an emergency.

Indeed, the Navi almost seemed to start as if waking up when Sleuth wrapped up and began apologizing. Even though she'd seemed to mentally block most of it, her face had gone red and she did seem outraged. "Th-that's too much, Sleuth! I have to say, it sounds as though you've certainly taken advantage of my unfortunate condition. I... that... to think, you'd have me do... that... which so obviously flies in the face of my very clearly expressed wishes!" It was apparent from her speech that, although her emotions were there, her mind still wasn't quite able to place what exactly she'd done. There was also definitely room for debate as to how clearly she'd expressed her distaste for the service.

The Navi had gone sulky, unable to make a convincing argument due to the multitude of facts she was missing. She turned away from Sleuth and crossed her arms, frowning and letting out a sigh. "What nerve... friendsies? Goodness, Ms. Sleuth, shall I force you into... ah... shall I, on your... with... my hands...? And would... ahem, those things! Done between friends?!" She continued to frown as Sleuth went on and on about the experience she couldn't remember, although she had to confess she didn't have any negative recollection about that fuzzy spot herself. "I'm afraid you'll have to engage in your debauchery alone. I can't explain why, but the main effect of this... sequence of events... is that I'm feeling more ready to get back into the office than ever! Think of how many patients must be lined up for me, and here I am, off... chasing some toy, in this mall with you. No, I don't have any time for games and fun, if that is indeed how you would describe such a stomach-turning sequence of events." She did have to admit, whereas she'd been feeling like she needed time off ever since her sickness first touched down, she felt oddly rejuvenated now... ready to get back to work.

"Ah, but... I can't go back into work until I've recovered from my... illness?" she asked, looking like she expected Sleuth to answer. "Oh dear... W-well... maybe it's gone? Yes, I'm feeling better than I have in quite a while, honestly! Maybe whatever we did... it's satisfied, and I can just go back to work now? O-or, if a period of time passes, without any incidents?" She bit her lower lip and rapped the fingers of one hand on her shoulder, fidgeting and looking to Sleuth, as though her saying "sure!" was the final word.

"You're right, old gal, I'm afraid I did heavily take advantage of your unfortunate state, there's no two ways about that. It was certainly advantageous, both from the stand-point of investigating your condition and of allowing me to get my jollies with you, so I certainly deserve whatever punishment you might see fit to give me," she murmured, rubbing her toe against the floor in her best apologetic gesture. "Especially if that punishment gives me further jollies?" she joked, clasping her hands together hopefully with a big smile, but the joke would probably fall flat. "But um... It was really quite a wonderful service! If you'd been there in your right mind, you may have wanted to go through with it just the same, upon sensing just what a fantastic opportunity it was," she ventured, again pushing her luck.

Hyde was still upset, understandably, but her words were making Sleuth grin more and more. "What's that? Are you saying you want to wallop my bottom as punishment for me spanking yours? I'm assuming you're referring to the slapping, rather than the licking?" she jabbed, walking so that she was standing closer to her new friend and not seeming terribly threatened by the proposition... if that's even what it was. It was pretty unlikely Hyde was suggesting Sleuth get a spanking, all things considered. "A-Although, if we're going to, we should do it some other time... I feel like if you or I orgasm one more time our souls are going to start rising up out from our mouths, given the recent exertion we went through. That said, it's my punishment, isn't it?! I'm in no position to haggle! We can find a shady space in a bathroom stall or some such, I'll bend over it, and you can slip my pants down, then begin stiffly striking my already spent bottom without so much as a care for my wellbeing~" she cooed, sounding more into it than someone should be when describing their own punishment.

As it turned out, Hyde, of course, did not want to slap Sleuth's ass at the moment. She mostly wanted get back to work... and to know why she felt better after a rough, tentacle-assisted threesome. The joyful detective crossed her arms and rested her chin on her fist. "Yes, I think it's quite good that you should want to return to your work, just as it is recommendable that I focus on mine as well! Now, let's see where Miss Jocelyn and Miss Jacky have gotten while we took our detour..." As it turned out, pretty darn far; Jocelyn was just about to engage the perp and Sleuth had some important input on the matter that she'd much rather have had more time to organize.

Hyde continued to glare at Sleuth. She understood that, by the Navi's nature, this was probably as close as Sleuth ever came to a genuine apology, but it wasn't good enough for her. She couldn't understand why (seeing as she couldn't even really understand what, exactly she had done), but it seemed as though Sleuth had crossed a very clearly drawn line. "You crossed a line I've drawn, Sleuth, and you crossed it through underhanded means, without my consent!" She continued frowning and reddened deeply as Sleuth proposed a possible compensation. "I'm not striking your buttocks, Sleuth!" she hissed under her breath, clenching her deformed teeth. "The very thought of participating in casual or recreational sadism goes against my principles and oaths as a doctor, I must ask you to understand that..."

She crossed her arms and frowned, leveling her gaze with the other Navi again. "Yes, please, focus on your work, as I should soon have the good fortune to focus on mine. I'm afraid I can't help much here, as Jacky isn't willingly opening the lines of communication... hopefully you three have a good handle on things." Seeing no need to stand around, the doctor found a resting spot, a chair or a bench, and took a seat, wincing and blushing again as she felt a stinging sensation. "Ah, dear..."

The doctor continued to sulk a while longer before finally speaking up again, if she saw Sleuth in a position to talk. "If you truly wish to make amends, you should start by telling me everything you've learned of my... defective condition, illness, or glitch, as it may be. It's imperative that this physician heals herself so that she may return to healing others post-haste. If it is indeed an illness, once I have diagnosed it, I should be able to... implement the... cure... myself," she added, obviously trailing off as if lost in thought at the end. "...Or, at the very least, I have access to a network of medical professionals who may be able to help."